he  Secrets 

of  the 

German  War  Office 


Dr' Armgaard  Karl  Graves 

ecret  A^ent 


* 


LIBRARY 


CALIFORNIA 

SAN  DIEGO 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE 
GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 


IDeutscbes-IReicb 


.  ir 


34 


X.  li.  Dirufi 


DR.  GRAVES'  SECRET  SERVICE  CARD 
'Udo  von  Wedell"  is  the  secret  service  signature  of  Count   Botlio 

von   VVedel,  privy   counselor  to  the   Kaiser 
The  seal  is  visible  from  the  front  when  held  to  the  light 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE 
GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 


By 
DR.  ARMGAARD  KARL  GRAVES 

with  the  collaboration  of 
EDWARD  LYELL  FOX 


THIRD  PRINTING 


NEW  YORK 

McBRIDE,  NAST  &  COMPANY 
1914 


Copyright,  1914,  by 
ILLUSTRATED  SUNDAY  MAGAZINES 

Copyright,  1914,  by 
P.  F.  CoLLiEa  &  SON 

Copyright,    1914,   by 
Me  BRIDE,  NAST  &  Co. 


Second  Printing   September,  1914 
Third  Printing  September,  1914 


Published  August,    1914 


FOREWORD 

In  view  of  the  general  war  into  which  Europe  has 
been  precipitated  just  at  the  moment  of  going  to  press, 
it  is  of  particular  interest  to  note  that  the  completed 
manuscript  of  this  book  has  been  in  the  hands  of  the 
publishers  since  June  1st.  Further  comment  on  Dr. 
Graves'  qualifications  to  speak  authoritatively  is  un- 
necessary; the  chapters  that  follow  are  a  striking 
commentary  on  his  sources  of  information. 

THE  PUBLISHERS 
August  7,  1914. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  How  I  BECAME  A  SECRET  AGENT      ....      1 

II  THE  MAKING  OF  A  SECRET  AGENT  .     .      .     .     17 

III  INTO  THE  EAST 38 

IV  AT  THE  SUBLIME  PORTE 55 

V    THE  GRAND  DUKE'S  LETTER 76 

VI    THE  INTRIGUE  AT  MONTE  CARLO 94 

VII    THE  KAISER  PREVENTS  A  WAR 112 

VIII    THE  ISOLATION  OF  FRANCE     .  " 130 

IX    IN  THE  BALKAN  COUNTRY 147 

X  MY  MISSION  AND  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND     .     .  167 

XI    To  NEW  YORK  FOR  ENGLAND 203 

XII  "THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE"      .     .     .     .219 

XIII  ARMING  FOR  PEACE  OR  WAR  .                           .  251 


THE  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Dr.  Graves'  Secret  Service  card   ....      Frontispiece 

FACING 
PAGB 

Kaiser  Wilhelm  II   ,  18 


Reproduction  of  a  fateful  piece  of  Count  von  Wedel's 

handwriting 134 

General  von  Heeringen 204 

General  von  Moltke  .  .  204 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE 
GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN 
WAR  OFFICE 

i 

HOW  I  BECAME  A  SECRET  AGENT 

"  0  Jerum,  jerum,  jerum,  quemotatio  rerum" 

HALF    past    three    was    heard    booming    from 
some  clock  tower  on  the  twelfth  day  of  June, 
1913,  when  Mr.  King,  the  Liberal  representative  from 
Somerset,  was  given  the  floor  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons.    Mr.  King  proceeded  to  make  a  sensation. 

He  demanded  that  McKinnon  Wood,  the  House  Sec- 
retary for  Scotland,  reveal  to  the  House  the  secrets  of 
the  strange  case  of  Armgaard  Karl  Graves,  German 

spy- 

A  brief  word  of  explanation  may  be  necessary. 
Supposed  to  be  serving  a  political  sentence  in  a 
Scotch  prison,  I  had  amazed  the  English  press  and 
people  by  publicly  announcing  my  presence  in  New 
York  City. 

Mr.  King  asked  if  I  was  still  undergoing  imprison- 
ment for  espionage;  if  not,  when  and  why  I  was  re- 
leased and  whether  I  had  been  or  would  be  deported 

1 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

at  the  end  of  my  term  of  imprisonment  as  an  undesir- 
able alien. 

Permit  me  to  quote  verbatim  from  the  Edinburgh 
Scotsman  of  June  12,  1913: 

The  SECRETARY  FOR  SCOTLAND  replied  —  Graves  was 
released  in  December  last.  It  would  not  be  in  accord- 
ance with  precedent  to  state  reasons  for  the  exercise 
of  the  prerogative.  I  have  no  official  knowledge  of 
his  nationality.  The  sentence  did  not  include  any 
recommendation  in  favor  of  deportation. 

MR.  KING  —  Was  he  released  because  of  the  state  of 
his  health? 

The  SECRETARY  FOR  SCOTLAND  —  I  believe  he  was  in 
bad  health,  but  I  cannot  give  any  other  answer. 

MR.  KING  —  Were  any  conditions  imposed  at  the 
time  of  his  release? 

The  SECRETARY  FOR  SCOTLAND  —  I  think  I  have 
dealt  with  that  in  my  answer.  (Cries  of  "  No.") 

MR.  KING  —  Can  the  right  hon.  gentleman  be  a  lit- 
tle more  explicit?  (Laughter.)  We  are  anxious  to 
have  the  truth.  Unless  the  right  hon.  gentleman  can 
give  me  an  explicit  answer  as  to  whether  any  condi- 
tions were  imposed  I  will  put  down  the  question 
again.  ( Laughter. ) 

The  SPEAKER  intervened  at  this  stage,  and  the 
subject  dropped. 

Heckling  began  at  this  point;  word  was  quickly 
sent  to  the  Speaker,  and  he  intervened,  ruling  the  sub- 
ject closed. 

2 


V 
HOW  I  BECAME  A  SECRET  AGENT 

Now  consider  the  Secretary  for  Scotland's  state- 
ment. "  It  would  not  be  in  accordance  with  prece- 
dent to  state  reasons  for  the  exercise  of  prerogative." 
In  other  words,  high  officials  in  England  had  found 
it  advisable  secretly  to  release  me  from  Barlinney 
Prison  by  using  the  royal  prerogative.  Why?  Later 
you  will  know. 

Also,  consider  the  Secretary  for  Scotland's  state- 
ment that  he  had  no  official  knowledge  as  to  my  na- 
tionality—  significant  that,  as  you  will  realize. 

There  are  three  things  which  do  not  concern  the 
reader:  My  origin,  nationality  and  morals.  There 
are  three  persons  alive  who  know  who  I  am.  One  of 
the  three  is  the  greatest  ruler  in  the  world.  None  of 
the  three,  for  reasons  of  his  own,  is  likely  to  reveal  my 
identity. 

I  detest  sensationalism  and  wish  it  clearly  under- 
stood that  this  is  no  studied  attempt  to  create  mys- 
tery. There  is  a  certain  dead  line  which  no  one  can 
cross  with  impunity  and  none  but  a  fool  would  at- 
tempt to.  Powerful  governments  have  found  it  ad- 
visable to  keep  silence  regarding  my  antecedents.  A 
case  in  point  occurred  when  McKinnon  Wood,  Secre- 
tary for  Scotland,  refused  in  the  House  of  Commons 
to  give  any  information  whatsoever  about  me,  this 
after  pressure  had  been  brought  to  bear  on  him  by 
three  members  of  Parliament.  Either  the  Home  Sec- 
retary knew  nothing  about  my  antecedents,  or  his 
trained  discretion  counseled  silence. 

I  was  brought  up  in  the  traditions  of  a  house  ac- 

3 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

tively  engaged  in  the  affairs  of  its  country,  for  hun- 
dreds of  years.  As  an  only  son,  I  was  promptly  and 
efficiently  spoiled  for  anything  else  but  the  station  in 
life  which  should  have  been  mine  —  but  never  has 
been  and,  now,  never  can  be.  I  used  to  have  high  as- 
pirations, but  promises  never  kept  shattered  most  of 
my  ideals.  The  hard  knocks  of  life  have  made  me  a 
fatalist,  so  now  I  shrug  my  shoulders.  "  Che  sara 
sara"  I  have  had  to  lead  my  own  life  and,  all 
considered,  I  have  enjoyed  it.  I  have  crowded  into 
thirty-nine  years  more  sensations  than  fall  to  the  lot 
of  the  average  half  a  dozen  men. 

Following  the  custom  of  our  house,  I  was  trained 
as  a  military  cadet.  This  military  apprenticeship 
was  followed  by  three  years  at  a  famous  gymnasium, 
which  fitted  me  for  one  of  the  old  classic  universities 
of  Europe.  And  after  spending  six  semesters  there,  I 
took  my  degrees  in  philosophy  and  medicine.  Not  a 
bad  achievement,  I  take  it,  for  a  young  chap  before 
reaching  his  twenty-second  birthday.  I  have  always 
been  fond  of  study  and  had  a  special  aptitude  for  sci- 
ences and  the  languages.  On  one  occasion  I  acquired 
a  fair  knowledge  of  Singalese  and  Tamul  in  three 
months. 

From  the  university  I  returned  home.  I  had  al- 
ways been  obstinate  and  willful,  not  to  say  pig- 
headed, and  being  steeped  in  tales  of  wrongs  done  to 
my  house  and  country,  and  with  the  crass  assurance 
of  a  young  sprig  fresh  from  untrammeled  university 
life,  I  began  to  give  vent  to  utterances  that  were  not 

4 


HOW  I  BECAME  A  SECRET  AGENT 

at  all  to  the  liking  of  the  powers  that  were.  Soon 
making  myself  objectionable,  paying  no  heed  to  their 
protests,  and  one  thing  leading  to  another,  my  family 
found  it  advisable  to  send  me  into  utter  and  complete 
oblivion.  To  them  I  am  dead,  and  all  said  and  done, 
I  would  rather  have  it  so. 

After  the  complete  rupture  of  my  home  ties,  I  be- 
gan some  desultory  globe  trotting.  I  knocked  about 
in  out-of-the-way  corners,  where  I  observed  and  ab- 
sorbed all  sorts  of  things  which  became  very  useful  in 
my  subsequent  career.  A  native,  and  by  that  I  mean 
an  inhabitant,  of  non-European  countries  always  fas- 
cinated me,  and  I  soon  learned  the  way  of  disarming 
their  suspicion  and  winning  their  confidence  —  a  pro- 
ceeding very  difficult  to  a  European.  After  a  time  I 
found  myself  in  Australia  and  New  Zealand,  where  I 
traveled  extensively,  and  came  to  like  both  countries 
thoroughly.  I  have  never  been  in  the  western  part  of 
the  United  States,  but  from  what  I  have  heard  and 
read  I  imagine  that  the  life  there  more  closely  re- 
sembles the  clean,  healthy,  outdoor  life  of  the  Aus- 
tralians than  any  other  locality. 

I  was  just  on  the  point  of  beginning  extensive 
travels  in  the  South  Sea  Islands,  when  the  situation 
in  South  Africa  became  ominous.  War  seemed  immi- 
nent, and  following  my  usual  bent  of  sticking  my 
nose  in  where  I  was  not  wanted  I  made  tracks  for  this 
potential  seat  of  trouble.  I  caught  the  first  steamer 
for  Cape  Town  landing  there  a  month  before  the  out- 
break of  war.  On  horseback  I  made  my  way  in  easy 

5 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

stages  up  to  the  Rand.  Here  happened  one  of  those 
incidents,  which,  although  small  in  itself,  alters  the 
course  of  one's  life.  What  took  place  when  I  rode 
into  a  small  town  on  the  Band  known  as  Doom  Kloof 
one  chilly  misty  morning,  was  written  in  the  bowl  of 
fate. 

Doom  Kloof  is  well  named ;  it  means  "  the  hoof  of 
the  Devil."  A  straggling  collection  of  corrugated 
iron  shanties  set  in  the  middle  of  a  grayish  sandy  plain 
as  barren  of  vegetation  as  the  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea, 
sweltering  hot  an  hour  after  sunrise,  chilly  cold  an 
hour  after  sunset,  populated  by  about  four  hundred 
Boers  of  the  old  narrow-minded  ultra  Dutch  type  with 
as  much  imagination  as  a  grasshopper  —  that  is 
Doom  Kloof. 

When  I  rode  into  the  village  I  was  in  a  decidedly 
bad  temper.  Hungry,  wet  to  the  skin,  the  dismal  as- 
pect of  the  place,  the  absence  of  anything  resembling 
a  hotel,  the  incivility  of  the  inhabitants,  all  contrib- 
uted to  shorten  my,  by  no  means  long,  temper.  I 
was  ripe  for  a  row.  As  I  rode  down  the  solitary 
street  I  found  a  big  burly  Dopper  flogging  brutally  a 
half-grown  native  boy.  This  humanitarian  had  the 
usual  Boer  view  that  the  sambrock  is  more  effective 
than  the  Bible  as  a  civilizing  medium.  After  con- 
vincing him  of  the  technical  error  of  his  method,  I 
attended  to  the  black  boy,  whose  back  was  as  raw  as 
a  beefsteak.  Kim  completely  adopted  me  and  he  is 
with  me  still.  I  christened  him  Kim,  after  Kipling's 
hero,  for  his  Basuto  name  is  unpronounceable.  He 

6 


HOW  I  BECAME  A  SECRET  AGENT 

has  repaid  me  often  for  what  he  considers  the  saving 
of  his  life.  Not  many  months  later  Kim  was  the  un- 
conscious cause  of  a  radical  change  in  my  destiny.  I 
have  ceased  to  wonder  at  such  things. 

By  the  time  Kim  had  learned  some  of  the  duties  of 
a  body  servant  we  had  reached  Port  Natal.  War  had 
broken  out  and  I  volunteered  with  a  Natal  field  foroe 
in  a  medical  capacity.  Field  hospital  work  took  me 
where  the  fighting  was  thickest.  During  the  battle 
of  the  Modder  Eiver  among  the  first  of  the  wounded 
brought  in  was  one  of  the  many  foreign  officers  fight- 
ing on  the  Boer  side.  It  was  Kim  who  found  him. 
This  officer's  wound  was  fairly  serious  and  necessi- 
tated close  attention.  Through  chance  remarks 
dropped  here  and  there,  the  officer  placed  my  identity 
correctly.  It  developed  that  he  was  Major  Freiherr 
von  Keitzenstein,  one  of  the  few  who  knew  the  real 
reasons  of  my  exile. 

In  one  of  our  innumerable  chats  that  grew  out  of 
our  growing  intimacy,  he  suggested  my  entering  the 
service  of  Germany  in  a  political  capacity.  He  urged 
that  with  my  training  and  social  connections  I  had  ex- 
ceptional equipment  for  such  work.  Moreover,  he 
suggested  that  my  service  on  political  missions  would 
give  me  the  knowledge  and  influence  necessary  to 
checkmate  the  intriguers  who  were  keeping  me  from 
my  own.  This  was  the  compelling  reason  that  made 
me  ultimately  accept  his  proposal  to  become  a  Secret 
Agent  of  Germany.  No  doubt,  if  the  Count  had  lived, 
I  would  have  gained  my  ends  through  his  guidance 

7 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

and  influence,  but  he  was  killed  in  a  riding  race,  three 
year's  after  our  meeting  in  the  Veldt,  and  I  lost  my 
best  friend.  By  that  time  I  was  too  deep  in  the  Secret 
Service  to  pull  out,  although  it  was  my  intention 
more  than  once  to  do  so.  And  certain  promises  re- 
garding my  restoration  in  our  house  were  never  kept. 
Coming  to  a  partial  understanding  with  Count 
Keitzenstein,  I  began  to  work  in  his  interests.  The 
Boer  War  taught  Germany  many  things  about  the 
English  army  and  a  few  of  these  I  contributed.  As  a 
physician  I  was  allowed  to  go  most  anywhere  and  no 
questions  asked.  I  began  to  collect  little  inside  scraps 
of  information  regarding  the  discipline,  spirit  and 
equipment  of  the  British  troops.  I  observed  that 
many  Colonial  officers  were  outspoken  in  their  criti- 
cisms. All  these  points  I  reported  in  full  to  Count 
Reitzenstein  when  I  dressed  his  wound.  One  day  he 
said: 

"  Don't  forget  now.  After  the  war,  I  want  to  see 
you  in  Berlin." 

In  my  subsequent  eagerness  to  pump  more  details 
from  the  Colonial  officers,  I  too  criticised,  and  one 
day  I  was  told  Lord  Kitchener  wanted  to  see  me. 

"  Doctor,"  he  said  curtly,  when  I  was  ushered  into 
his  tent,  "you  have  twenty -four  hours  in  which  to 
leave  camp  — " 

Whether  that  mandate  was  a  result  of  my  joining 
in  with  the  Colonial  officers'  criticism,  or  because  my 
secret  activity  for  Count  Reitzenstein  had  been  sus- 
pected, I  cannot  say.  But  knowing  the  ways  of  the 

8 


HOW  I  BECAME  A  SECRET  AGENT 

"  man  of  Khartoum,"  I  made  haste  to  be  out  of  camp 
within  the  time  prescribed. 

Later  I  learned  that  the  Count,  being  convalescent 
and  paroled,  was  sent  down  to  Cape  Town.  After 
the  occupation  of  Pretoria,  I  got  tired  of  roughing  it 
and  made  my  way  back  to  Europe,  finally  locating  in 
Berlin  for  a  prolonged  stay.  I  knewr  Berlin,  and  had 
a  fondness  for  it,  having  spent  part  of  my  youth  there 
in  the  course  of  my  education.  It  has  always  been  a 
habit  of  mine  not  to  seem  anxious  about  anything,  so  I 
spent  several  weeks  idling  around  Berlin  before  look- 
ing up  Count  Reitzenstein.  One  day  I  called  at  his 
residence,  Thiergartenstrasse  23.  I  found  the  Count 
on  the  point  of  leaving  for  the  races  at  Hoppegarten. 
He  was  one  of  the  crack  sportsmen  of  Prussia  and 
never  missed  a  meeting.  He  suggested  that  I  go  to  the 
track  with  him,  and  while  we  waited  for  the  servant 
to  bring  around  his  turn-out,  he  renewed  his  pro- 
posals about  my  entering  Prussian  service. 

"  I  expected  you  long  ago,"  he  said.  "  I  have 
smoothed  your  way  to  a  great  extent.  "We  are  likely 
to  meet  one  or  two  of  the  Service  Chiefs  out  at  the 
track,  this  afternoon.  If  you  like,  I'll  introduce  you 
to  them." 

"  Is  there  any  likelihood  of  my  being  recognized?  " 
I  asked.  "  You  know,  Count,  it  will  be  impossible  for 
me  to  go  under  my  true  flag." 

He  assured  me  there  was  not  the  slightest  chance. 

"  Your  identity,"  he  explained,  "  need  be  known  to 
but  one  person." 

9 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

Later  I  was  to  know  who  this  important  personage 
was. 

"  Very  well,"  I  agreed ;  "  we'll  try  it." 
The  Count  always  drove  his  own  turn-out,  and  in- 
vited me  to  climb  up  on  the  box.  When  his  attention 
was  not  occupied  with  his  reins  and  returning  the 
salutes  of  passers-by,  for  he  was  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lar men  in  Berlin,  we  discussed  my  private  affairs. 
The  Count  showed  a  keen  interest  and  sympathy  in 
them  and  his  proposal  began  to  take  favorable  shape 
in  my  mind.  As  he  predicted,  we  met  some  of  the 
Service  Chiefs  at  the  track.  Indeed,  almost  the  first 
persons  who  saluted  him  in  the  saddle  paddock  were 
Captain  Zur  See  von  Tappken  and  a  gentleman  who 
was  introduced  to  me  as  Herr  von  Riechter.  The 
Count  introduced  me  as  Dr.  von  Graver,  which  I  sub- 
sequently altered  whenever  the  occasion  arose  to  the 
English  Graves.  After  chatting  a  bit,  Captain  von 
Tappken  made  an  appointment  with  me  at  his  bureau 
in  the  Koenigergratzerstrasse  70,  the  headquarters  of 
the  Intelligence  Department  of  the  Imperial  Navy  in 
Berlin,  but  made  no  further  reference  to  the  subject 
that  afternoon.  I  noticed  though  that  Herr  von 
Kiechter  put  some  pointed  and  leading  questions  to 
me,  regarding  my  travels,  linguistic  attainments,  and 
general  knowledge.  He  must  have  been  satisfied,  for 
I  saw  some  significant  glances  pass  between  him  and 
the  Captain.  The  repeated  exclamations  of  "  Gros- 
sartig !  "  and  "  Colossal ! "  seemed  to  express  his  en- 
tire satisfaction. 

10 


HOW  I  BECAME  A  SECRET  AGENT 

Following  my  usual  bent,  I  did  not  call  at  Koen- 
igergratzerstrasse  70  as  the  Captain  suggested. 
About  three  days  passed  and  then  I  received  a  very 
courteously  worded  letter  requesting  me  to  call  at  my 
earliest  convenience  at  his  quarters  as  he  had  some- 
thing of  importance  to  tell  me.  I  called. 

Koenigergratzerstrasse  70  is  a  typical  Prussian 
building  of  administration.  Solid  but  unpretentious, 
it  is  the  very  embodiment  of  Prussian  efficiency,  and 
like  all  official  buildings  in  Germany  is  well  guarded. 
The  doorkeeper  and  commissaire,  a  taciturn  non-com- 
missioned officer,  takes  your  name  and  whom  you  wish 
to  see.  He  enters  these  later  in  a  book,  then  tele- 
phones to  the  person  required  and  you  are  either 
ushered  up  or  denied  admittance.  When  sent  up,  you 
are  invariably  accompanied  by  an  orderly  —  it  does 
not  matter  how  well  you  are  known  —  who  does  not 
leave  you  until  the  door  has  closed  behind  you. 
When  you  leave,  there  is  the  same  procedure  and  the 
very  duration  of  your  visit  is  entered  and  checked  in 
the  doorkeeper's  book. 

I  was  admitted  immediately.  After  passing 
through  three  anterooms  containing  private  secre- 
taries not  in  uniform,  I  was  shown  into  Captain  von 
Tappken's  private  office.  He  wore  the  undress  rank- 
ing uniform  of  the  Imperial  Navy.  This  is  signifi- 
cant, for  it  is  characteristic  of  all  the  branches  of  the 
Prussian  Service  to  find  officers  in  charge.  The  secre- 
taries and  men  of  all  work,  however,  are  civilians ;  this 
for  a  reason.  The  heads  of  all  departments  are  Ger- 

11 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

man  officers,  recruited  from  the  old  feudal  aristoc- 
racy, loyal  to  a  degree  to  the  throne.  They  find  it  in- 
compatible, notwithstanding  their  loyalty,  to  soil  their 
hands  with  some  of  the  work  connected  with  all  gov- 
ernment duties,  especially  those  of  the  Secret  Service. 
Though  planning  the  work,  they  never  execute  it.  To 
be  sure,  there  are  ex-officers  connected  with  the  Secret 
Service,  men  like  von  Zenden,  formerly  an  officer  of 
the  Zweiter  Garde  Dragoner,  but  with  some  few  ex- 
ceptions they  are  usually  men  who  have  gone  to 
smash.  No  active  or  commissioned  officer  does  Secret 
Service  work. 

Von  Tappken  greeted  me  very  tactfully.  This  is 
another  typical  asset  of  a  Prussian  Service  officer, 
especially  a  naval  man,  and  is  quite  contrary  to  the 
usual  characteristics  of  English  officials,  whose 
brusqueness  is  too  well  and  unpleasantly  known. 

After  offering  me  a  chair  and  cigars,  Captain  von 
Tappken  began  chatting. 

"  Well,  Doctor,"  he  said,  "  have  you  made  up  your 
mind  to  enter  our  Service?  For  a  man  fond  of  travel- 
ing and  adventure,  I  promise  you  will  find  it  tremen- 
dously interesting.  I  have  carefully  considered  your 
equipment  and  experience  and  find  that  they  will  be 
of  mutual  benefit." 

I  asked  him  to  explain  what  would  be  required  of 
me,  but  he  replied : 

"  Before  my  entering  upon  that,  are  you  adverse  to 
telling  me  if  you  have  made  up  your  mind  to  enter 
the  Service?  " 

12 


HOW  I  BECAME  A  SECRET  AGENT 

It  was  a  fair  question,  and  I  replied : 

"  Yes,  provided  nothing  will  be  directly  required  of 
me  that  is  against  all  ethics." 

I  noticed  a  peculiar  smile  crossing  his  features. 
Then,  looking  me  straight  between  the  eyes  and  using 
the  sharp,  incisive  language  of  a  German  official,  he 
declared : 

"  We  make  use  of  the  same  weapons  that  are  used 
against  us.  We  cannot  afford  to  be  squeamish.  The 
interests  at  stake  are  too  vast  to  let  personal  ethical 
questions  stand  in  the  way.  What  would  be  required 
of  you  in  the  first  instance,  is  to  gain  for  us  informa- 
tion such  as  we  seek.  The  means  by  which  you  gain 
this  information  will  be  left  entirely  to  your  own  dis- 
cretion. We  expect  results.  We  place  our  previous 
knowledge  on  the  subject  required,  at  your  disposal. 
You  will  have  our  organization  to  assist  you,  but  you 
must  understand  that  we  cannot  and  will  not  be  able 
to  extricate  you  from  any  trouble  in  which  you  may 
become  involved.  Be  pleased  to  understand  this 
clearly.  This  service  is  dangerous,  and  no  official  as- 
sistance or  help  could  be  given  under  any  cir- 
cumstances." 

To  my  cost,  I  later  found  this  to  be  the  truth.  So 
far,  so  good.  Captain  von  Tappken  had  neglected  to 
mention  financial  inducements  and  I  put  the  question 
to  him. 

He  replied  promptly: 

"  That  depends  entirely  on  the  service  performed. 
In  the  first  instance  you  will  receive  a  retaining  fee 

13 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

of  4000  marks  ($1000)  a  year.  You  will  be  allowed 
10  marks  ($2.50)  a  day  for  living  expenses,  whether 
in  active  service  or  not.  For  each  individual  piece  of 
work  undertaken  you  will  receive  a  bonus,  the  amount 
of  which  will  vary  with  the  importance  of  the  mission. 
Living  expenses  accruing  while  out  on  work  must  not 
exceed  40  marks  ($10)  a  day.  The  amount  of  the 
bonus  you  are  to  receive  for  a  mission  will  in  each 
case  be  determined  in  advance.  There  is  one  other 
thing.  One-third  of  all  moneys  accruing  to  you  will 
be  kept  in  trust  for  you  at  the  rate  of  5  per  cent,  in- 
terest." 

I  laughed  and  said : 

"  Well,  Captain,  I  can  take  care  of  my  own  money." 

He  permitted  the  shadow  of  a  smile  to  play  around 
his  mouth. 

"  You  may  be  able  to,"  he  said,  "  but  most  of  our 
agents  cannot.  We  have  this  policy  for  two  reasons : 
In  the  first  place,  it  gives  us  a  definite  hold  upon  our 
men.  Secondly,  we  have  found  that  unless  we  save 
some  money  for  our  agents,  they  never  save  any  for 
themselves.  In  the  event  of  anything  happening  to  an 
agent  who  leaves  a  family  or  other  relatives,  the 
money  is  handed  over  to  them." 

I  later  cursed  that  rule,  for  when  I  was  captured  in 
England  there  were  30,000  marks  ($7,500)  due  me  at 
the  Wilhelmstrasse  and  I  can  whistle  for  it  now. 

Captain  von  Tappken  looked  at  me  inquiringly,  but 
I  hesitated.  It  was  not  on  account  of  monetary 
causes,  but  for  peculiarly  private  reasons  —  the  di- 


HOW  I  BECAME  A  SECRET  AGENT 

lemma  of  one  of  our  house  becoming  a  spy.  The  Cap- 
tain, unaware  of  the  personal  equation  that  was  ob- 
sessing me  before  giving  my  word,  evidently  thought 
that  his  financial  inducements  were  not  alluring 
enough. 

"  Of  course,"  he  continued,  "  this  scale  of  pay  is 
only  the  beginning.  As  your  use  to  us  and  the  im- 
portance of  your  missions  increases,  so  will  your  re- 
muneration. That  depends  entirely  on  you." 

He  raised  his  eyebrows  inquiringly. 

"  Very  well,"  I  said.     "  I  accept." 

He  held  out  his  hand.  "  You  made  up  your  mind 
quickly." 

"  It  is  my  way,  Captain  I  take  a  thing  or  leave 
it." 

"  That's  what  I  like,  Doctor ;  a  quick,  decisive 
mind." 

That  seemed  to  please  him. 

"  Very  well.  To  be  of  use  to  us,  you  will  need  a  lot 
of  technical  coaching.  Are  you  ready  to  start  to- 
morrow?" 

"Now,  Captain." 

"  Very  good,"  he  said,  "  but  to-morrow  will  do.  Be 
here  at  ten  A.  M.  Then  give  us  daily  as  much  of  your 
time  as  we  require." 

He  called  in  one  of  his  secretaries,  gave  him  com- 
mand briefly  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  man  was  back 
with  an  order  for  three  hundred  marks. 

"  This,  Doctor,  is  your  first  month's  living  ex- 
penses. Ketaining  fees  are  paid  quarterly." 

15 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

As  I  pocketed  the  check  I  remarked : 

"  Captain,  personally  we  are  total  strangers.  How 
is  it  that  you  seem  so  satisfied  with  me?  " 

Again  his  peculiar  smile  was  noticeable. 

"  That  is  outside  our  usual  business  procedure,"  he 
said.  "  I  have  my  instructions  from  above  and  I 
simply  act  on  them." 

I  was  young  then,  and  curious  so  I  asked : 

"  Who  are  those  above  and  what  are  their  instruc- 
tions?" 

No  sooner  had  I  put  that  question  than  I  learned 
my  first  lesson  in  the  Secret  Service.  All  traces  of 
genial  friendliness  vanished  from  von  Tappken's  face. 
It  was  stern  and  serious. 

"  My  boy,"  he  said  slowly,  "  learn  this  from  the 
start  and  learn  it  well.  Do  not  ask  questions.  Do 
not  talk.  Think!  You  will  soon  learn  that  there 
are  many  unwritten  laws  attached  to  this  Service." 

I  never  forgot  that.  It  was  my  first  lesson  in 
Secret  Service. 


16 


II 

THE  MAKING  OF  A  SECRET  AGENT 

THE  average  man  or  woman  has  only  a  hazy  idea 
what  European  Secret  Service  and  Espionage 
really  means  and  accomplishes.  Short  stories  and 
novels,  written  in  a  background  of  diplomacy  and 
secret  agents,  have  given  the  public  vague  impressions 
about  the  world  of  spies.  But  this  is  the  first  real 
unvarnished  account  of  the  system ;  the  class  of  men 
and  women  employed;  the  means  used  to  obtain  the 
desired  results  and  the  risks  run  by  those  connected 
with  this  service.  Since  the  days  of  Moses  who  em- 
ployed spies  in  Canaan,  to  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  who 
inaugurated  the  first  thorough  system  of  political 
espionage,  potentates,  powerful  ministers  and  heads 
of  departments  have  found  it  necessary  to  obtain  early 
and  correct  information  other  than  through  the  usual 
official  channels.  To  gain  this  knowledge  they  have 
to  employ  persons  unknown  and  unrecognized  in  of- 
ficial circles.  A  recognized  official  such  as  an  am- 
bassador or  a  secretary  of  legation,  envoys  plenipo- 
tentiary and  consuls,  would  not  be  able  to  gain  the  in- 
formation sought,  as  naturally  everybody  is  on  their 
guard  against  them.  Moreover,  official  etiquette  pre- 
17 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

vents  an  ambassador  or  consul  from  acting  in  such  a 
capacity. 

In  this  age  of  rapid  developments  the  need  of  quick 
and  accurate  information  is  even  more  pressing. 
Europe  to-day  is  a  sort  of  armed  camp,  composed  of  a 
number  of  nations  of  fairly  equal  strength,  in  which 
the  units  are  more  or  less  afraid  of  each  other.  Mu- 
tual distrust  and  conflicting  interests  compel  Ger- 
many, England,  France  and  Russia  to  spend  billions 
of  money  each  year  on  armaments.  Germany  builds 
one  battleship ;  England  lays  down  two ;  France  adds 
ten  battalions  to  her  army ;  Germany  adds  twenty.  So 
the  relative  strength  keeps  on  a  fair  level.  But  with 
rapid  constructions,  new  inventions  of  weapons, 
armor,  aerial  craft,  this  apparent  equality  is  con- 
stantly disturbed.  Here  also  enters  the  personal 
policy  and  ambitions  and  pet  schemes  of  the  indi- 
vidual heads  of  nations  and  their  cabinets.  Because 
there  is  a  constant  fear  of  being  outdistanced,  every 
government  in  Europe  is  trying  its  utmost  to  get 
ahead  of  the  other.  They,  hence,  keep  a  stringent 
watch  on  each  other's  movements.  This  is  possible 
only  by  an  efficient  system  of  espionage,  by  trained 
men  and  women,  willing  to  run  the  risks  attached  to 
this  sort  of  work. 

For  risks  there  are.  I  have  been  imprisoned  twice, 
once  in  the  Balkans  at  Belgrade,  once  in  England. 
I  have  been  attacked  five  times  and  bear  the  marks 
of  the  wounds  to  this  day.  Escapes  I  have  had  by  the 
dozen.  All  my  missions  were  not  successes,  more 

18 


CG/-VI 


I'ndcrwood  &  Undenvood 

KAISER  WILHELM  II 

The  visible  head  of  Germany's  mighty  war  machine  is  called  Der 

Grosse  General  Stab,  but  the  real  directing  genius 

is  the  Emperor  himself 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SECRET  AGENT 

often,  failures,  and  the  failures  are  often  fatal.     For 
instance : 

Early  in  the  morning  of  June  11,  1903,  the  plot 
which  had  been  brewing  in  Servia  ended  with  the  as- 
sassination of  the  king,  queen,  ministers  and  members 
of  the  royal  household  of  Servia.  I  shall  not  go  into 
the  undercurrent  political  significance  of  these  atroci- 
ties as  I  had  no  active  part  in  them,  but  I  was  sent 
down  by  my  government  later  to  ascertain  as  far  as 
possible  the  prime  movers  in  the  intrigue  which 
pointed  to  Colonel  Mashin  and  a  gang  of  officers  of 
the  Sixth  Regiment.  All  these  regicides  received 
Russian  pay,  for  King  Alexander  had  become  dan- 
gerous to  Russia,  because  of  his  flirting  with  Austria. 
Besides,  his  own  idiotic  behavior  and  the  flagrant  in- 
discretions of  Queen  Draga  had  by  no  means  endeared 
him  to  his  people. 

I  stuck  my  nose  into  a  regular  hornets'  nest  and 
soon  found  myself  in  a  most  dangerous  position.  I 
was  arrested  by  the  provisional  government  on  the 
order  of  Lieutenant  Colonel  Niglitsch  on  a  most  flimsy 
charge  of  traveling  with  false  passports.  In  those 
times  arrests  and  executions  were  the  order  of  the 
day.  The  old  Servian  proverb  of  "  Od  Roba  Ikad  Iz 
Groba  Nikad  "  (Out  of  prison,  yes;  out  of  the  grave, 
never)  was  fully  acted  upon.  There  were  really  no 
incriminating  papers  of  any  description  upon  me,  but 
my  being  seen  and  associating  with  persons  opposed  to 
the  provisional  government  was  quite  enough  to  place 
me  before  a  drumhead  court-martial. 

19 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

I  was  sitting  in  the  Caf6  Petite  Parisian  with  Lieu- 
tenant Nikolevitch  and  Mons.  Krastov,  a  merchant  of 
Belgrade,  when  a  file  of  soldiers  in  charge  of  an  officer 
pulled  us  out  of  our  chairs  and  without  any  further 
ado  marched  us  to  the  Citadel.  The  next  morning  we 
were  taken  separately  into  a  small  room  where  three 
men  in  the  uniform  of  colonels  were  seated  at  a  small 
iron  table.  No  questions  were  asked. 

"  You  are  found  guilty  of  associating  with  revolu- 
tionary persons.  You  were  found  possessing  a  pass- 
port not  your  own.  You  are  sentenced  to  be  shot  at 
sundown." 

The  whole  thing  appeared  to  me  first  as  a  joke,  then 
as  a  bluff,  but  looking  closely  into  those  high-cheek- 
boned,  narrow-eyed  faces  with  the  characteristically 
close-cropped  brutal  heads,  the  humorous  aspect 
dwindled  rapidly  and  I  thought  it  about  time  to  make 
a  counter  move.  Without  betraying  any  of  my  in- 
ward qualms  —  and  believe  me,  I  began  to  have  some 
—  I  said  quietly : 

"  I  think  you  will  find  it  advisable  to  inform  M. 
Zolarevitch"  (then  minister  of  War)  "that  Count 
Weringrode  sends  his  regards." 

I  saw  them  looking  rather  curiously  at  each  other 
and  then  the  center  inquisitor  fired  a  lot  of  questions 
at  me,  in  answer  to  which  I  only  shrugged  my  shoul- 
ders. 

"  That's  all  I  have  to  say,  monsieur." 

I  was  shoved  back  in  my  cell.  About  four  that 
afternoon  one  of  the  officers  came  to  see  me. 

20 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SECRET  AGENT 

"Your  message  has  not  been  sent.  My  comrades 
were  against  sending  it,  but  I  am  related  to  Zolare- 
vitch.  So  if  you  can  show  me  some  reason,  I  shall 
take  your  message." 

I  gave  him  some  reason.  So  much  so  that  he  did 
not  lose  any  time  getting  under  way.  In  fact,  it  was 
a  very  pale,  perturbed  officer  who  rushed  out  of 
my  cell.  I  didn't  worry  much,  but  when  at  about  7.30 
the  cell  door  opened  and  two  sentries  with  fixed  bay- 
onets and  cartridge  pouches  entered,  placed  me  in  the 
center  and  marched  me  into  the  courtyard,  where  ten 
more  likewise  equipped  soldiers  in  charge  of  an  officer 
awaited  me,  I  felt  somewhat  green.  I  know  a  firing 
squad  when  I  see  one.  I  knew  if  my  message  ever 
reached  responsible  quarters,  nothing  could  hap- 
pen to  me ;  but  these  were  motley  times  and  all  sorts 
of  delays  may  have  happened  to  the  officer. 

"  Eight  about  wheel "  and  myself  in  the  center,  we 
marched  out  of  the  courtyard  to  a  little  hill  to  the 
west  of  the  Citadel. 

An  old  stone  building  —  probably  a  decayed  mon- 
astery, for  I  noticed  several  crumbled  tombstones  — 
was  evidently  selected  for  the  place  of  execution.  On 
a  little  rough,  four-foot,  stone  wall  we  halted,  and  the 
officer,  pulling  out  a  document,  began  reading  to  me  a 
rather  lengthy  preamble  in  Servian. 

Up  to  then  not  a  word  had  been  spoken.  I  let  him 
finish  and  then  politely  requested  him,  as  I  was  not  a 
Serb  and  consequently  did  not  understand  his  lingo, 
to  translate  it  into  a  civilized  language,  preferably 

21 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

German  or  French.  He  seemed  somewhat  startled 
and  gave  me  to  understand  that  he  was  led  to  believe 
I  was  a  Serb.  I  used  some  very  forcible  German  and 
French,  both  of  which  he  was  able  to  understand, 
pointing  out  to  him  that  someone,  somewhere,  made  a 
thundering  big  blunder  which  somehow  would  have 
to  be  paid  for.  He  was  clearly  ill  at  ease,  but  said, 
"  I  have  to  obey  my  instructions."  I  had  told  him  of 
my  message  to  the  minister,  and  although  it  was  quite 
obvious  I  was  sparring  for  time  he  seemed  in  no  way 
inclined  to  rush  the  execution.  Five  minutes  went; 
ten  minutes  went  and  looking  at  his  watch,  which 
showed  five  minutes  to  eight  (although  it  was  fast  get- 
ting dusk,  I  could  see  that  watch-dial  distinctly), 
shrugging  his  shoulders  and  saying,  "  I  can  delay  no 
longer,"  he  called  a  sergeant,  who  placed  me  with  my 
shoulders  to  the  wall  and  offered  me  a  handkerchief. 
I  didn't  want  a  handkerchief.  A  few  sharp  orders 
and  twelve  Mauser  tubes  pointed  their  ugly  black 
snouts  directly  at  me. 

I  hate  to  tell  my  sensation  just  then.  Frankly,  I 
felt  nothing  clearly.  The  only  thing  I  remember  dis- 
tinctly was  the  third  man  in  the  second  file  held  his 
gun  in  rather  a  slipshod  manner,  aiming  it  first  at  my 
midriff,  next  pointing  it  at  my  nose  —  which  strangely 
enough  caused  me  intense  annoyance.  How  long  we 
stood  thus  I  don't  know.  The  next  thing  I  remem- 
ber was  a  rattle  of  grounding  arms  and  the  sight  of 
two  other  officers,  excitedly  gesticulating  with  the  one 
in  charge  of  the  firing  squad.  All  three  presently 

22 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SECRET  AGENT 

came  towards  me  and  one  pulling  out  a  flask  of  cognac 
with  a  polite  bow  offered  me  a  drink.  I  needed  it ;  but 
didn't  take  it.  All  this  time  I  had  been  standing 
motionless  with  my  arms  folded  across  my  breast.  I 
heard  one  say  to  the  other,  "  Mtchka  Curacha"  (no 
coward).  If  he  had  only  known. 

Indeed,  had  I  anticipated  such  an  experience,  had  I 
known  the  things  I  know  now  I  doubt  if  I  would 
have  been  so  pleased  with  the  results  of  my  first 
visit  to  Koenigergratzerstrasse  70,  where  the  Intelli- 
gence Department  of  the  German  Admiralty  is  quar- 
tered. Will  the  reader  step  back  with  me  in  the  nar- 
rative to  the  day  of  my  officially  joining  the  Service? 
Returning  to  my  hotel  after  my  interview  with  Cap- 
tain von  Tappken  in  his  office,  I  began  to  reflect. 

I  had  not  entered  the  Service  out  of  pure  adventure 
or  for  monetary  reasons  alone.  Money  has  never 
appealed  to  me  as  the  all-powerful  thing  in  life. 
I  have  always  had  enough  for  creature  comforts  and 
as  for  adventure  I  had  had  my  fill  during  the  Boer 
War  and  my  world  wanderings.  No,  I  had  joined  the 
German  Secret  Service  for  quite  a  different  reason. 
I  was  thinking  of  the  influences  that  had  pressed  me 
out  of  my  destined  groove,  by  every  human  right  my 
own.  I  remember  how  sanguine  Count  Reitzenstein 
was  that  through  the  Service  I  ought  to  gain  the 
power  I  had  lost.  But  as  I  sat  in  the  hotel  room  had 
occult  powers  been  given  me,  I  never  would  have  taken 
up  Secret  Service  work.  But  one  is  not  quite  as  wise 
at  twenty-four  as  at  thirty-nine. 

23 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

Well  satisfied  with  my  prospects,  I  arose  early  the 
next  morning  and  walked  briskly  to  Captain  Tapp- 
ken's  office.  Punctually  at  ten  o'clock  I  announced 
myself  at  the  Admiralty  and  after  the  usual  proce- 
dure with  the  door  man,  I  was  received  by  Herr  von 
Stammer,  private  secretary  of  Captain  Tappken.  A 
very  astute  and  calculating  gentleman  is  Herr  von 
Stammer.  Suave,  genial,  talkative,  he  has  the 
plausible  and  unstudied  art  of  extracting  informa- 
tion without  committing  himself  in  turn.  A  marrel- 
ous  encyclopedia  of  devious  Secret  Service  facts,  an 
ideal  tutor. 

When  we  were  alone  in  his  office,  von  Stammer  be- 
gan by  saying  abruptly : 

"  From  now  on,  you  must  be  entirely  and  abso- 
lutely at  our  Service.  You  will  report  daily  at  twelve 
noon  by  telephoning  a  certain  number.  At  all  times 
you  must  be  accessible.  You  will  pay  close  attention 
to  the  following  rules : 

"  Absolute  silence  in  regard  to  your  missions.  No 
conversation  with  minor  officials  but  only  with  the  re- 
spective heads  of  departments  or  to  whomever  you 
are  sent.  You  will  make  no  memoranda  nor  carry 
written  documents.  You  will  never  discuss  your  af- 
fairs with  any  employee  in  the  Service  whom  you  may 
meet.  You  are  not  likely  to  meet  many.  It  is  strictly 
against  the  rules  to  become  friendly  or  intimate  with 
any  agent.  You  must  abstain  from  intoxicating 
liquors.  You  are  not  permitted  to  have  any  women 
associates.  You  will  be  known  to  us  by  a  number. 

24 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SECRET  AGENT 

You  will  sign  all  your  reports  by  that  number.  Al- 
ways avoid  telephoning,  telegraphing  and  cabling  as 
much  as  possible.  In  urgent  cases  do  so,  but  use  the 
cipher  that  will  be  supplied  to  you." 

He  went  on  to  give  numerous  other  minor  details 
and  instructions,  elaborating  the  system,  but  which 
might  prove  wearisome  here.  I  was  in  his  office  all 
the  forenoon,  and  when  he  ushered  me  out  I  half  ex- 
pected to  be  called  into  von  Tappken's  presence  to 
be  sent  on  my  first  mission.  Instead  of  that,  I  had  to 
wait  five  months  before  I  was  given  my  first  work  and 
an  exceedingly  unimportant  thing  it  was.  During 
those  five  months  I  was  kept  at  a  steady  grind  of 
schooling  in  certain  things.  Day  after  day,  week 
after  week,  I  was  grounded  in  subjects  that  were 
essential  to  efficient  Secret  Service  work. 

Broadly,  they  could  be  divided  into  four  classes  — 
topography,  trigonometry,  naval  construction  and 
drawing.  The  reasons  for  these  you  will  see  from  my 
missions.  My  tutors  were  all  experts  in  the  Imperial 
Service.  A  Secret  Service  agent  sent  out  to  investi- 
gate and  report  on  the  condition,  situation,  and  arma- 
ment of  a  fort  like  Verdun  in  France  must  be  able  to 
make  correct  estimates  of  distances,  height,  angles, 
conditions  of  the  ground,  ete.  This  can  only  be  done 
by  a  man  of  the  correct  scientific  training.  He  must 
have  the  science  of  topography  at  his  finger  tips;  he 
must  be  able  to  make  quick  and  accurate  calculations 
using  trigonometry,  as  well  as  possessing  skill  as  a 
draftsman.  In  my  mission  to  Port  Arthur,  where  I 

25 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

had  to  report  on  the  defenses,  I  found  this  training 
invaluable. 

The  same  applies  to  the  subject  of  naval  construc- 
tion. Before  entering  the  German  Secret  Service,  I 
certainly  knew  the  difference  between  a  torpedo  and 
a  torpedo  boat  destroyer,  but  naturally  could  not  give 
an  accurate  description  of  the  various  types  of  de- 
stroyers and  torpedoes.  My  instructor  in  this  subject 
was  Lieutenant  Captain  Kurt  Steffens,  torpedo  expert 
of  the  Intelligence  Department  of  the  Imperial  Navy. 
After  a  month  of  tutelage  under  him,  I  was  able  to 
tell  the  various  types  of  torpedoes,  submarines,  and 
mines,  etc.,  in  use  by  the  principal  Powers.  I  could 
even  tell  by  the  peculiar  whistle  it  made  whether  the 
torpedo  that  was  being  discharged  was  a  Whitehead 
or  a  Brennan. 

I  was  also  drilled  in  the  construction  of  every  known 
kind  of  naval  gun.  Dozens  of  model  war-crafts  were 
shown  to  me  and  explained.  I  saw  the  model  of 
every  warship  in  the  world.  For  days  at  a  time  I 
was  made  to  sit  before  charts  that  hung  from  the  walls 
of  certain  rooms  in  the  Intelligence  Department  and 
study  the  silhouettes  of  every  known  varying  type  of 
war-craft.  I  was  schooled  in  this  until  I  could  tell  at 
a  glance  what  type  of  a  battleship,  cruiser,  or  de- 
stroyer it  was,  whether  it  was  peculiar  to  the  English, 
French,  Kussian  or  United  States  Navy.  As  I  shall 
show  in  relating  one  of  my  missions  to  England,  I  was 
brushed  up  on  the  silhouette  study  of  British  war- 
ships, for  I  had  to  be  able  to  discern  and  classify  them 

26 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SECRET  AGENT 

at  long  range.  The  different  ranking  officers  of  the 
navies  of  the  world,  their  uniforms,  the  personnel  of 
battleships,  the  systems  of  flag  signals,  and  codes, 
were  explained  to  me  in  detail.  I  was  given  large 
books  in  which  were  colored  plates  of  the  uniforms 
and  signal  flags  of  every  navy  in  the  world.  I  had  to 
study  these  until  at  a  glance  I  could  tell  the  rank  and 
station  of  the  officers  and  men  of  the  principal  navies. 
The  same  with  the  signal  flags.  I  pored  over  those 
books  night  after  night  into  the  early  hours  of  the 
morning.  My  regular  hours  for  tuition  were  from 
ten  to  twelve  in  the  forenoon  and  from  two  until  six 
in  the  afternoon.  But  it  was  impossible  to  compress 
all  the  work  into  that  time.  I  was  anxious  to  get  my 
first  mission,  and  I  presume  I  did  a  great  deal  of 
cramming. 

My  study  was  not  all  in  Berlin.  I  spent  most  of 
my  time  there  at  Koenigergratzerstrasse  70  and  at 
the  Zeughaus,  the  great  museum  of  the  German  Gen- 
eral Staff.  But  there  were  side  trips  to  the  big  gov- 
ernment works  at  Kiel  and  Wilhelmshafen.  There  I 
was  taught  every  detail  of  the  mechanics  of  naval  con- 
struction and  I  was  not  pronounced  equipped  until  I 
could  talk  intelligently  about  every  unassembled  part 
of  a  gun,  torpedo  tube,  or  mine. 

In  the  course  of  my  five  months'  instruction  under 
the  various  experts  of  the  Prussian  Service  I  had 
many  opportunities  to  observe  the  exhaustive  thor- 
oughness and  the  minuteness  of  detail  which  the  Ger- 
man General  Staff  possesses.  I  did  not  lose  the 

27 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

chance  of  this  opportunity.  I  really  did  observe  and 
see  more  than  was  intended  for  me  to  see.  Of  the 
amazing  amount  of  labor,  time  and  money  that  has 
been  spent  to  gather  the  information  contained  in 
the  secret  archives  of  the  German  General  Staff,  the 
marvelous  system  of  war  that  has  been  perfected  in 
the  German  Empire,  I  shall  tell  when  I  consider  the 
secrets  of  the  War  Machine. 

Naturally,  I  soon  came  to  know  still  other  things 
than  what  they  taught  me.  I  began  to  consider  the 
whole  proposition  of  Secret  Service,  and  before  relat- 
ing my  first  important  mission  for  Gerjnany  I  shall 
tell  you  some  of  the  general  secrets  of  the  System. 

There  are  four  systems  of  Secret  Service  in  Europe, 
the  four  leading  powers  each  possessing  one.  First 
in  systematic  efficiency  is  the  German,  next  comes  the 
Bussian,  then  the  French,  and  English.  England  has 
a  very  efficient  service  in  India  and  her  Asiatic  pos- 
sessions, but  has  only  lately  entered  the  European 
field.  Last  but  not  least  comes  the  International 
Secret  Service  Bureau  with  headquarters  in  Belgium, 
a  semi-private  concern  which  procures  reliable  in- 
formation for  anyone  who  will  pay  for  it.  This  serv- 
ice is  generally  entrusted  with  the  procuring  of  tech- 
nical details,  such  as  the  plans  of  a  new  kind  of  gun 
or  data  on  a  new  and  minor  fortification.  Mr.  Vance 
Thompson  has  also  cited  special  missions  like  this 
one  that  follows. 

Not  often  does  the  chance  come  to  leave  the  regular 
channels  of  espionage  and  go  forth  upon  a  mission 

28 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SECRET  AGENT 

out  of  the  ordinary.  That  chance  came  a  few  years 
ago  to  the  Russian  agents  in  Brussels.  In  St.  Peters- 
burg the  chiefs  were  desirous  of  knowing  the  identity 
and  names  of  a  group  of  revolutionists  who  had 
formed  a  sort  of  colony  in  Montreux,  Switzerland. 
A  French  woman,  known  sometimes  as  Theresa  Pre- 
vost  (the  last  I  heard  of  her  she  was  in  prison)  was 
detailed  to  the  mission.  Young  and  clever  was 
Theresa;  likewise  the  man  who  was  ordered  to  ac- 
company her,  posing  as  a  "  brother,"  Charles  Pre- 
vost. 

The  chief  of  these  Russian  fugitives,  who  were  down 
around  the  lake  of  Geneva,  brewing  their  dark  plans, 
was  known.  He  was  Goluckoffsky,  and  he  had  a  son 
twenty-two  years  of  age  —  an  impressionable  Russian 
son.  Hence  the  young  and  pretty  Theresa. 

It  was  decided  by  her  Brussels  chiefs  that  she  as- 
sume the  role  of  an  heiress  from  Canada.  Five  thou- 
sand francs  for  preliminary  expenses  were  handed 
over  to  her  and  with  Charles,  the  brother,  she  de- 
scended upon  Montreux.  If  you  were  there  at  the 
time  you  will  recall  the  social  triumph  made  by  the 
young  Canadian  heiress.  You  may  even  remember 
that  she  seemed  to  be  infatuated  with  the  young  im- 
pressionable son  of  old  Goluckoffsky.  The  day  long 
they  were  together.  They  were  going  to  be  married, 
and  Charles  Prevost  the  "  brother,"  stood  in  the  back- 
ground, chatted  amiably  with  old  Goluckoffsky  and 
his  friends  and  smiled. 

Then  as  an  heiress  should,  Theresa  and  her 

29 


THE  SECBETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

"  brother "  invited  Goluckoffsky,  his  family  and 
friends,  to  a  pre-nuptial  luncheon.  No  expense  was 
spared,  for  the  wires  had  moaned  with  requests  sent 
to  Brussels  for  money.  Young  Goluckoffsky  was  de- 
lighted with  his  fiance'e.  She  was  insistent  that  all 
his  friends  should  be  there,  all  the  revolutionaries  — 
although  of  course  his  dear  Theresa  did  not  know  that. 
How  the  spelling  of  their  names  puzzled  her.  With 
gay  heart  young  Goluckoffsky  wrote  out  all  their 
names  on  a  slip  of  paper  so  she  could  send  their  invi- 
tations properly  —  the  names  St.  Petersburg  wanted 
to  know. 

Came  the  day  of  the  luncheon,  a  gala  affair  in  the 
banquet  room  of  the  hotel.  Theresa  looked  charm- 
ing; even  the  grimmest  of  the  old  revolutionists  were 
taken  with  her.  Old  Goluckoffsky  beamed  upon  this 
sparkling  febrile  woman,  rich  too,  who  was  to  marry 
his  son. 

Ices  had  been  served  when  Theresa,  her  pretty  face 
in  smiles,  declared  that  she  had  a  surprise  for  her 
guests.  To  her  it  was  the  day  of  days.  What  better 
than  a  group  photograph  of  her  dear  and  new  friends? 
How  she  would  treasure  it!  Strangely  enough  this 
did  not  please  the  guests.  Photographs  were  danger- 
ous. Suppose,  in  some  way,  the  Okrana  got  hold  of 
them.  They  breathed  easier,  though,  when  Theresa, 
calling  in  the  photographer  —  the  best  in  Lausanne, 
she  assured  them  —  instructed  him  to  deliver  all 
copies  to  Mr.  Goluckoffsky,  her  dear  father-in-law  to 
be.  So  the  revolutionists  grouped  themselves  on  the 

30 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SECRET  AGENT 

hotel  lawn;  the  photographer  pressed  the  bulb;  and 
everybody  laughed. 

As  quickly  as  the  photographer  could  print  his 
proofs  they  were  delivered  to  Theresa ;  that  night  she 
and  her  "  brother  "  left  Montreux.  In  two  days  the 
names  of  all  the  revolutionists  in  young  Goluckoff- 
sky's  handwriting  and  their  pictures  were  delivered 
to  the  chief  in  Brussels.  A  substantial  fee  was  paid 
Theresa,  besides,  and  she  must  have  smiled;  some  of 
those  young  Russians  are  delightful. 

So  much  for  an  example  of  the  clever  work  done  by 
Brussels.  The  German  Service,  in  which  I  served  on 
and  off  for  twelve  years,  has  three  distinct  branches  — 
the  Army,  Navy  and  Personal,  each  branch  having  its 
own  chief  and  its  own  corps  of  men  and  women  agents. 
The  Army  and  Navy  division  is  controlled  by  the  Gen- 
eral Staff  of  Berlin  (Grosser  General  Stabe) ,  the  most 
marvelous  organization  in  the  world.  The  Political 
and  Personal  branch  is  controlled  from  the  Wilhelm- 
strasse,  the  German  Foreign  Office,  the  Emperor  in 
person,  or  his  immediate  Privy  Councilor.  The  Army 
and  Navy  divisions  confine  themselves  to  the  procur- 
ing of  hidden  and  secret  information  as  regards  arma- 
ments, plans,  discoveries,  etc.  The  political  branch 
concerns  itself  with  the  supervision  of  meetings  be- 
tween potentates,  cabinet  ministers  and  so  forth.  The 
Personal  branch,  under  the  direct  control  of  the  Privy 
Councilor,  is  used  by  the  Emperor  for  his  own  special 
purposes  and  service  in  this  branch  is  the  sine  qua 
non  of  the  service. 

31 


The  Personal  consists  of  all  classes  of  men  and 
women.  Princes  and  counts,  lawyers  and  doctors, 
actors  and  actresses,  mondaines  of  the  great  world, 
demi-mondaines  of  the  half  world,  waiters  and  por- 
ters, all  are  made  use  of  as  occasion  arises.  It  may 
well  happen  that  your  interesting  acquaintance  in 
the  salon  of  an  express  steamer  or  your  charming  com- 
panion in  the  tearoom  of  the  Kitz  is  the  paid  agent 
of  some  government.  Great  singers,  dancers  and  ar- 
tists, especially  of  Russian  and  Austrian  origin,  are 
often  spies.  Notably  Anna  Pavlowa,  famous  for  light 
feet  and  nimble  wit,  said  wit  being  retained  by  the 
Eussian  government  at  50,000  rubles  per  annum. 
When  Mile.  Pavlowa  travels  in  Germany,  she  has  the 
honor  of  a  very  unostentatious  bodyguard,  the  govern- 
ment being  anxious  that  nothing  should  happen  to 
them.  Perhaps  Mademoiselle  may  remember  a  little 
incident  at  the  Palais  de  Dance  in  Berlin  —  Anna  vs. 
He  of  Lichtenstein. 

Or  perhaps  Mademoiselle  will  recall  a  little  episode 
in  the  Eis  Arena  in  Berlin  during  a  certain  New 
Year's  Eve  carnival  when  the  restoration  —  not  the 
loss  —  of  her  magnificent  gold  chatelaine  bag  caused 
her  much  embarrassment.  The  chatelaine  in  ques- 
tion being  dexterously  commandeered  by  an  expert  in 
such  matters  of  the  Secret  Service  squad. 

It  happened  that  the  Personal  Branch  of  the  Ger- 
man Secret  Service  was  exceedingly  interested  in  that 
gold  bag.  Mademoiselle  had  been  carrying  on  an  af- 
fair with  a  young  ordnance  officer  of  the  Potsdam  gar- 

32 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SECRET  AGENT 

rison.  Now  the  Service  does  not  like  to  see  officers, 
especially  those  of  the  ordnance,  becoming  involved 
with  ladies  like  the  Pavlowa,  On  this  particular 
night  he  had  presented  her  with  the  new  bag  and  she 
had  been  injudicious  enough  to  have  kept  in  the  golden 
receptacle  a  dangerously  compromising  letter  that  he 
had  enclosed.  Injudicious,  dear  lady!  Corsage  or 
stockings,  Mademoiselle ;  but  vanity  bags  —  never ! 

I  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  following  incident 
cost  the  Pavlowa  a  rather  remunerative  engagement 
in  Berlin. 

Celebrating  the  coming  of  the  New  Year,  Made- 
moiselle and  her  party  were  feasting  in  the  Ice  Arena. 
I  happened  to  be  at  near-by  table,  and  saw  everything ; 
as  well  as  later  hearing  the  inside  of  it. 

The  gold  chatelaine  lay  on  the  table  at  her  elbow. 
Upon  observing  its  position,  the  waiter  —  a  secret 
agent  on  the  case  —  deliberately  tipped  over  a  cham- 
pagne glass  that  stood  within  a  few  inches  of  the  bag. 
Of  course,  Mademoiselle  wras  worried  lest  the  wine 
run  over  on  her  gown  and  while  thus  preoccupied,  the 
waiter,  stammering  apologies,  mopped  up  the  table 
cloth  with  his  serviette  —  mopped  up  the  wine  and 
cleverly  covering  the  bag  folded  it  in  the  napkin  and 
hurried  away.  In  two  minutes  he  had  opened  it,  ab- 
stracted the  letter  from  the  young  ordnance  officer; 
and  was  back,  apologizing  to  the  Pavlowa. 

"  Your  pardon,  Mademoiselle,"  he  said,  handing  her 
the  gold  chatelaine.  "  In  my  haste  I  picked  up  this 
bag  by  mistake.  I  suppose  it  is  yours." 

33 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

With  a  slight  start  she  said  "yes,"  took  the  bag 
and  hurriedly  opening  it  felt  for  the  letter.  To  her 
dismay  it  was  gone.  I  saw  her  eyes  narrow  a  little 
and  then  I  marveled  at  the  cleverness  of  the  woman. 

"  No,"  she  suddenly  said,  "  that  is  not  my  bag.  I 
never  saw  it  before.  I  advise  you  to  find  the  owner." 

Clever  Anna!  You  sacrificed  the  costly  gift,  but 
you  went  over  the  frontier  just  the  same. 

The  necessary  qualifications  of  an  agent  vary  of 
course  with  the  class  of  work  to  be  done.  We  can  dis- 
miss the  waiter  and  porter  class,  as  they  never  receive 
independent  commands  and  work  only  under  direct 
supervision  on  minor  details  without  knowing  why. 
The  trusted  agent  handling  important  matters  and 
documents  must  needs  be  a  person  of  intelligence,  tact 
and  address.  He  must  be  a  linguist  and,  above  all,  a 
man  of  resource  and  a  close  student  of  his  fellow  men. 
In  the  woman  agent  charm  and  tact,  beauty  and  man- 
ners, au  grand  dame,  knowledge  of  the  world  and  men 
are  essential.  The  pay  varies,  but  is  always  good. 
Expenses  are  never  questioned,  the  money  being  no 
object.  For  instance,  I  spent  on  a  mission  through 
the  Kiviera  20,000  marks  in  fourteen  days.  My  fixed 
salary  towards  the  end  was  10,000  marks  a  year,  be- 
sides twenty  marks  a  day  living  expenses  when  not  at 
work,  which  was  automatically  tripled  irrespective  of 
expenses  when  out  on  work.  Besides,  there  is  a  bonus 
set  out  for  each  piece  of  work,  the  amount  of  which 
varies  with  the  importance  of  the  case  in  hand.  I  re- 

34 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SECRET  AGENT 

ceived  as  much  as  30,000  marks  ($7,500)  for  a  single 
mission  performed  successfully. 

The  risks  are  great,  so  are  the  rewards  —  if  suc- 
cessful. If  not,  then  one  pays  the  usual  price  of 
failures,  in  this  case  only  more  so.  For  in  the  event 
of  disaster  no  official  help  or  protection  could  or 
would  be  granted  and  quarter  is  neither  asked  nor 
given.  The  work  is  interesting  and  fascinating  to 
those  of  an  adventurous  turn  of  mind  and  not  overly 
nervous  about  their  health  or  squeamish  in  regards  to 
established  ethics.  I  would  not  suggest  the  Secret 
Service  as  a  means  of  livelihood  for  a  nervous  person. 
At  times  it  is  arduous  and  strenuous  work  and  mostly 
undertaken  by  men  and  women  who  fear  neither  man 
nor  devil.  It  is  not  compatible  to  longevity.  As  a 
rule,  the  constant  strain  of  being  on  the  qui  vive,  play- 
ing a  lone  hand  against  the  most  powerful  influences 
often  unknown,  having  one's  plans  upset  at  the  last 
moment  and  continually  pitting  one's  own  brain 
against  some  of  the  acutest  and  shrewdest  minds  of 
the  world,  the  knowledge  that  the  slightest  blunder 
means  loss  of  liberty,  often  of  life,  is  wearing,  to  say 
the  least. 

I  have  known  men  and  women,  courageous  to  a  de- 
gree, who  have  broken  down  under  the  strain ;  sooner 
or  later  one  is  bound  to  succumb.  I  have  known  of  a 
dozen  men  and  women  who  have  mysteriously  disap- 
peared, "  dropped  out  of  sight,"  caught  or  killed  — 
not  always  by  their  opponents. 

35 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

To  cite  but  two  cases,  one  of  a  woman,  the  other  of 
a  man. 

Olga  Bruder  was  a  spy.  She  worked  for  Germany 
and  for  the  Service  Bureau  in  Brussels.  A  few  years 
ago  it  was  announced  in  the  European  newspapers 
that  a  woman  known  as  Olga  Bruder  had  committed 
suicide  in  a  hotel  at  Memel  on  the  Russian  border. 
Fraulein  Bruder  had  been  sent  after  the  plans  of  a 
Russian  fort.  In  Berlin  they  learned  that  she  had 
obtained  them,  but  becoming  involved  in  a  love  af- 
fair with  a  Russian  officer  was  holding  them  out,  plan- 
ning to  restore  them  to  him.  Also,  contrary  to  the 
service  regulations,  she  knew  four  foreign  agents 
well.  Later  reports  from  Danzig  revealed  the  fact 
that  she  had  become  enamored  with  a  sectional  chief 
of  the  Russian  Service  and  that  she  was  about  to  give 
up  everything  to  him.  So  Olga  Bruder  committed 
suicide.  $Iie  was  poisoned. 

As  for  Lieutenant  von  Zastrov,  an  ex-army  officer 
in  the  German  Secret  Service,  he  was  killed  in  a  duel. 
Zastrov  was  suspected  of  flirting  with  Russian  agents 
—  only  suspected.  He  knew  too  much  to  be  im- 
prisoned. He  was  a  civilian  and  under  the  German 
law  entitled  to  a  public  hearing.  Had  he  still  been  a 
military  man,  a  secret  tribunal  would  have  been  pos- 
sible, but  being  the  scion  of  an  old  aristocratic  house 
and  knowing  official  secrets,  it  was  not  wise  to  put 
him  in  against  the  regular  machinery  of  elimination. 
So  Zastrov  was  challenged  to  a  duel.  He  killed  the 
first  man  the  Service  chiefs  sent  against  him,  yet  no 

36 


THE  MAKING  OF  A  SECRET  AGENT 

sooner  was  that  duel  over  than  he  was  challenged 
again.     In  half  an  hour  Zastrov  was  dead. 

Yes,  your  own  employers  often  think  it  advisable  at 
times  to  eliminate  a  too  clever  or  knowing  member  of 
their  service,  unless  that  same  member  has  procured 
for  himself  a  solid  good  "  life  insurance  "  in  the  na- 
ture of  documentary  evidence  of  such  character  that 
to  meddle  with  him  brings  danger  of  disclosure.  Of 
late  there  have  been  no  attempts  on  my  life. 


37 


Ill 

INTO  THE  EAST 

RECLINING  in  my  deck  chair  on  the  N.  D.  L. 
liner  Bayern,  bound  for  Singapore,  I  was  smok- 
ing a  pipe  and  idly  speculating.  I  had  cultivated  the 
acquaintance  of  my  table  neighbor,  a  Japanese,  Baron 
Huraki,  and  was  at  the  moment,  expecting  him  to 
come  up  the  companionway  and  take  his  place  in  his 
deck  chair  beside  me.  Instead  came  two  officers  of 
the  Second  Siberian  Rifles,  strolling  along  the  deck. 
It  was  obvious  that,  although  it  still  lacked  three  hours 
of  noon,  these  gentlemen  had  been  quite  frequently  to 
the  shrine  of  Bacchus.  I  had  no  fault  to  find  with 
that,  as  long  as  they  did  not  interfere  with  my  own 
personal  comfort.  When  they  began  tacking  along, 
talking  at  the  top  of  their  voices  on  that  part  of  the 
deck  known  by  experienced  travelers  to  be  reserved 
for  repose  and  reading,  however,  they  began  to 
irritate  me.  When  one  of  them  threw  himself  into 
the  Baron's  chair  and  displayed  that  beastly  annoy- 
ing habit  of  continually  wriggling  and  creaking  the 
chair,  meanwhile  shouting  to  his  companion  at  the 
top  of  his  lungs,  I  lost  all  patience.  It  only  needed 
Baron  Huraki's  appearance  and  quiet  request  for  the 

38 


INTO  THE  EAST 


evacuation  of  his  deck  chair,  and  the  insolent  stare 
and  non-compliance  of  the  Russian,  to  make  me  chip 
in  with : 

"  Damn  it,  sir !  You  don't  own  the  whole  world 
yet." 

I  went  on  in  terse  military  German  which  eighty 
per  cent,  of  all  Russian  officers  know  and  the  trend 
of  which  is  never  misunderstood.  I  pointed  out  that 
any  further  encroaching  would  be  resented  in  a  most 
drastic  and  sudden  manner.  The  usual  farcical  ex- 
change of  cards,  permitting  all  sorts  of  bluffs,  does  not 
impress  a  Russian,  but  the  imminent  chance  of  blows 
from  fists  does.  A  pair  of  astonished  bulging  eyes,  a 
muttered  apology  and  quietness  reigned. 

With  a  mild  smile  Baron  Huraki  dropped  into  his 
chair,  but  I  did  not  like  the  expression  in  his  eyes. 
Knowing  the  prowess  of  the  Baron  as  an  exponent  of 
his  national  system  of  self-defense  (I  had  seen  him 
harmlessly  toss  about  the  biggest  sailor  on  the 
Bayern,  the  chief  butcher,  who  was  as  strong  as  an 
ox),  I  said: 

"  It's  a  wonder  to  me,  Baron,  that  you  didn't  throw 
that  boor  half  way  across  the  deck." 

I  shall  never  forget  his  answer. 

"  We  of  the  Samurai  never  fight  when  there  is  noth- 
ing behind  it.  It  is  not  the  time." 

I  did  not  like  the  expression  in  his  eyes. 

All  this  transpired  because  I  was  on  the  road  to 
Singapore,  away  from  Berlin,  on  my  first  important 
mission  in  the  German  Secret  Service.  The  Intelli- 

39 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

gence  Department  had  instructed  ine  to  ascertain  the 
extent  of  the  new  docks  and  fortifications  in  course  of 
completion  in  the  Straits  Settlements  —  an  assign- 
ment calling  for  exact  topographical  data,  photo- 
graphs and  plans. 

Leaving  port,  I  had  found  the  Bayern  comfortably 
crowded.  In  the  East  war  clouds  were  gathering  and 
among  the  passengers  were  a  number  of  Japanese 
called  home,  as  I  afterwards  learned,  for  the  impend- 
ing struggle.  At  Port  Said  we  had  taken  on  a  Kus- 
sian  contingent,  quite  a  few  of  whom  were  officers 
bound  for  Port  Arthur,  Dalny  and  Vladivostock,  and 
in  view  of  the  gathering  conflict  I  found  the  relative 
conduct  and  bearing  of  representatives  of  these  races 
that  were  soon  to  clash,  vastly  interesting. 

And  after  my  experience  with  the  Kussians,  I  was 
to  know  more.  From  that  time  on,  I  began  to  notice  a 
subtle  change  in  Baron  Huraki's  attitude  toward  me. 
Quite  of  his  own  accord  he  discussed  with  me  the  cus- 
toms, ideals  and  aspirations  of  his  caste  and  country. 
Wrapped  in  a  Shuai  kimono,  his  gift  to  me,  we  spent 
many  hot  ajid  otherwise  tedious  nights,  sprawled  in 
our  deck  chairs,  discussing  unreservedly  the  questions 
of  the  East.  What  I  learned  then  and  the  insight  I 
got  into  the  aims  and  character  of  Nippon,  were  in- 
valuable to  me.  Baron  Huraki,  now  high  in  the  serv- 
ices of  the  Mikado,  is  my  friend  still.  Once  a  year  he 
sends  me  Shuraino-Ariki,  a  wonderful  spray  of  cherry 
blossoms,  the  Japanese  symbol  of  rejuvenating  friend- 
ship. 

40 


INTO  THE  EAST 


A  Secret  Service  agent,  although  making  no  friends 
or  acquaintances,  always  makes  it  his  business  to 
converse  with  and  study  his  fellow  travelers.  Fol- 
lowing my  usual  hajbit,  I  went  out  of  my  way  to  culti- 
vate the  acquaintance  of  the  Japanese,  particularly 
Huraki.  A  scholar  of  no  mean  attainments  was  the 
Baron. 

Quietly,  without  being  didactic,  he  upheld  his  end 
in  most  discussions  on  applied  sciences  or  philo- 
sophic arguments,  putting  forth  his  deep  knowledge 
in  an  unobtrusive  way.  I  found  this  trait  to  be  an  in- 
variable rule  with  most  of  the  Japanese  with  whom  I 
came  in  contact.  Once  or  twice  during  our  lengthy 
and  pleasant  chats  I  tried  to  veer  the  subject  round 
to  the  all-engrossing  Eastern  question,  only  to  be  met 
with  the  maddening  bland  smile  of  the  East.  I  was 
rather  inexperienced  in  the  fathomless,  undefinable 
ways  of  the  Orient,  but  on  the  Bayern  I  learned  rap- 
idly the  truths  that  "Western  methods  and  strategy 
are  absolutely  useless  against  the  impenetrable 
stoicism  of  an  Asiatic  and  that  only  personal  regard 
and  obligation  on  their  part  will  produce  results.  In 
striking  contrast  to  the  Japanese,  small  and  sinewy, 
any  two  of  them  weighing  no  more  than  one  Russian, 
quiet,  taciturn,  genial  and  abstemious,  were  the  chil- 
dren of  the  "Little  White  Father."  The  Russians 
were  an  aggressive,  big,  well  set  up,  heavy  type  of  men, 
by  no  means  teetotalers,  talkative,  with  overbearing 
swagger,  always  posing,  talking  contemptuously  about 
the  possible  struggle  in  the  East,  invariably  referring 

41 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

to  the  Japanese  as  "  little  monkey  men."  Fortunate 
for  me  was  it  that  the  Bayern  was  carrying  both  Eus- 
sians  and  Japanese;  the  knowledge  I  acquired  from 
Baron  Huraki  of  the  Asiatics  was  invaluable  in  Singa- 
pore; what  I  learned  of  Eussians,  I  needed  at  Port 
Arthur.  But  I  am  anticipating  my  narrative. 

Arriving  in  Singapore,  I  put  up  at  the  Hotel  de  la 
Paix  on  the  Marine  Parade.  I  posed  as  an  ordinary 
tourist  with  a  leaning  toward  hunting  and  a  fad  of 
doing  research  work  in  tropical  botany.  I  gradually 
became  acquainted  with  a  number  of  English  officers 
and  was  introduced  at  their  clubs.  The  information 
obtained  through  these  channels  about  the  new  naval 
base  was  merely  theoretical  and  I  soon  found  that 
to  obtain  practical  results  I  would  have  to  get  in 
touch  with  the  native  clerks.  In  the  English  Eastern 
possessions,  you  see,  most  clerical  and  minor  mechan- 
ical positions  are  held  by  natives.  It  soon  was  brought 
home  to  me,  though,  that  this  cultivating  natives  was 
by  no  means  easy  and  a  rather  dangerous  thing  to  do. 
To  be  in  any  way  successful,  I  had  to  find  a  native  of 
a  higher  caste,  one  with  sufficient  influence  to  com- 
mand the  clerks.  If  I  could  get  hold  of  one  of  the 
numerable  discontented  petty  rajahs,  for  instance, 
there  might  be  a  chance  of  obtaining  what  I  sought. 

In  one  of  the  clubs,  I  found  a  clue.  A  young 
Eajah,  one  of  the  numerous  coterie  of  petty  princes 
—  fair  play  compels  me  to  withhold  his  name  —  had 
got  himself  into  some  trouble  and  the  paternal  govern- 
ment had  promptly  suspended  his  income.  Here 

42 


INTO  THE  EAST 


was  my  chance.  I  soon  ascertained  young  Rajah's 
haunts  and  made  it  my  business  to  frequent  them. 
One  day  I  found  him  on  the  veranda  of  the  Marine 
Hotel  and  asked  him  for  a  match,  making  a  return 
compliment  of  a  cigarette.  This  was  a  procedure 
against  established  British  social  usage  in  the  East, 
where  it  is  considered  infradig  to  meet  a  native  on  a 
social  footing.  Herein  lies  a  grave  danger  to  Eng- 
lish colonial  policy.  Your  semi-European  educated 
native,  having  partly  absorbed  European  manners, 
resents  this  subordination  and  ostracism.  So,  with 
this  high-spirited,  rather  clever  young  rajah.  I  ac- 
cepted his  invitation  to  whiskey  "  pegs "  and  sub- 
sequent dinner  at  his  bungalow.  One  visit  led  to 
another  and  we  were  soon  rather  intimate.  The  young 
Rajah,  having  the  usual  native  taste  for  luxury  well 
developed  and  his  income  stopped,  I  became  of  some 
monetary  assistance  to  him.  Also,  judiciously  fos- 
tering his  discontent  against  the  government,  I  soon 
had  him  in  a  desired  frame  of  mind.  Through  his 
influence  on  the  native  clerks,  I  was  able  to  gain  all 
the  plans,  data  and  photographs  of  England's  new 
naval  base  in  the  Straits  Settlement. 

By  this  time  my  close  association  with  this  no- 
torious young  Rajah  was  marked  and  I  found  it  ad- 
visable to  pull  up  stakes,  which  I  did  in  short  order, 
arranging  passage  on  the  N.  D.  L.  liner  Sachsen, 
homeward  bound.  Having  a  week  to  spare  and  find- 
ing that  by  leaving  the  Sachsen  at  Colombo,  I  could 
catch  the  Prins  Regent  Leopold  of  the  same  line, 

43 


coining  up  from  Australia  en  route  for  Europe,  I 
had  niy  ticket  transferred.  This  would  give  me  a 
ten-day  vacation  in  Ceylon,  where  I  had  a  number 
of  acquaintances,  having  hunted  there  during  my 
early  travels.  Accordingly,  at  Colombo  I  put  up  at 
the  Galle  Face  Hotel,  and  the  first  man  I  met  was 
Allan  MacGregor,  one  of  Lipton's  tea  estate  man- 
agers, in  Kandy  and  Newara  Elya.  MacGregor  and 
I  were  old  pals,  having  done  much  hunting  and  bridge 
playing  in  days  gone  by.  I  planned  to  spend  a  week 
with  him  and  go  after  some  leopards.  By  the  by,  I'd 
like  to  see  the  MacGregor's  face  when  he  learns  that 
his  quondam  friend  and  boon  companion  was  an  in- 
ternational spy! 

"  Dinna  get  sair,  Mac.  You're  no  the  only  chiel 
what'll  tak  a  wee  surprise." 

I  was  just  arranging  a  hunting  trip  with  Mac- 
Gregor when  Bill  Peters,  manager  of  the  hotel,  an- 
other old  acquaintance,  handed  me  a  cable  knocking 
all  my  plans  to  bits.  It  was  a  cipher  message  from 
Captain  von  Tappken,  and  shortly  I  was  again 
on  the  high  sea,  bound  not  for  home,  but  for 
Port  Arthur.  My  orders  were  to  ascertain  how  far 
the  Port  Arthur  fortifications  were  completed  and  to 
report  on  the  general  conditions  as  I  found  them.  I 
wondered  not  a  little  at  this  mission,  as  I  could  not 
then  see  what  close  interest  Germany  could  have  in 
a  possible  war  between  Russia  and  Japan.  Also,  I 
by  no  means  relished  the  assignment,  for  it  was  a 
perilous  business  and  I  judged  the  Russians  to  be 

44 


INTO  THE  EAST 


extremely  suspicious  —  which  I  afterwards  learned 
they  were  not. 

I  decided  to  travel  under  the  cloak  of  a  doctor  of 
natural  history  and  botany,  my  medical  training  giv- 
ing me  the  necessary  knowledge  to  impersonate  the 
character.  The  reader  will  understand  that  if  Doc- 
tor Franz  von  Cannitz  is  subsequently  mentioned, 
it  refers  to  me.  Almost  everybody,  especially  my 
government,  knew  that  war  between  Russia  and 
Japan  was  inevitable.  I  say,  all,  except  Russia. 

To  make  this  situation  clear,  let  me  hark  back  a 
little.  Japan,  beating  China  in  the  war  of  1895,  took 
and  occupied  Port  Arthur.  Japan  later,  compelled 
by  hostile  demonstrations  on  the  part  of  Russia 
backed  up  by  France  and  Germany,  restored  Port 
Arthur  to  China.  Note  the  holding  aloof  of  England 
here.  The  actual  text  of  the  ultimatum  delivered 
was  that  the  possession  of  ceded  territory  by  Japan 
would  be  detrimental  to  the  lasting  peace  of  the 
Orient.  Japan  was  bitterly  humiliated  and  an 
Asiatic  never  forgets  or  forgives.  Japan  bided  her 
time.  Russia's  duplicity  in  the  Boxer  Campaign,  and 
her  seizure  of  Port  Arthur,  gave  Japan  the  needed 
casus  belli.  Result,  the  Russian-Japanese  War. 

Arriving  in  Port  Arthur,  I  established  myself  at 
the  Hotel  1'Europe  and  with  prospecting  spade,  botan- 
ical trowel  and  butterfly  net,  I  sallied  forth  around 
the  hills  of  Port  Arthur.  The  first  thing  which  struck 
me  was  the  enormous  number  of  Chinese  and  Chun- 
shuses  (bad  Coolies)  employed  everywhere.  I  came 

45 


to  know  that  they  were  not  all  Chinese  Coolies  and 
that  almost  every  tenth  man  was  a  disguised  Jap- 
anese. To  an  observer,  trained  in  the  facial  char- 
acteristics of  the  Oriental,  it  was  not  difficult  to  pick 
out  the  Japanese  from  the  mass  of  Coolies.  They 
fairly  swarmed  in  Port  Arthur  right  under  the  very 
noses  of  the  Russians.  As  Baron  Huraki  had  told 
me  during  our  passage  on  the  Bayern,  his  country- 
men were  actually  employed  in  the  building  of  the 
Port  Arthur  defenses!  These  Japanese  were  later 
able  to  give  invaluable  information  in  directing  the 
Japanese  batteries.  Numerous  other  alleged  Coolies 
were  acting  as  servants  to  Russian  officers.  I  also 
found  that  on  the  Lioa  Teah  Shan  Railway  and  at 
Pidgeon  Bay  the  very  porters  were  Japanese.  In 
fact,  the  entire  Russian  stronghold  was  infested  with 
them. 

This  carelessness,  lack  of  knowledge  or  suspicion, 
with  a  total  lack  of  belief  on  the  part  of  the  Russian 
officers,  that  the  "  little  monkey  men  "  would  ever 
dare  attack,  is  in  my  opinion  the  chief  cause  of  the 
comparatively  quick  fall  of  Port  Arthur.  For  even 
with  the  incompleted  defenses  the  place  was  tremen- 
dously strong.  Everywhere  I  could  see  the  most 
elaborate  plans  incomplete.  For  instance,  as  I  wan- 
dered through  the  hills  seeking  my  botanical  speci- 
mens, I  found  that  the  chain  of  forts  on  the  hills  of  the 
Quang  Tong  peninsula  south  and  west  of  Dalny,  were 
totally  unfinished  and  that  the  Kuan  Ling  section 
of  the  Port  Arthur  and  Dalny  railway  was  not  even 

46 


INTO  THE  EAST 


adequately  protected  from  capture  by  a  hostile  force. 

The  lack  of  adequate  supervision  and  the  general 
slovenliness  prevailing  made  it  easy  for  me  to  go 
about  unchallenged.  I  mixed  freely  with  officers  and 
men.  The  expenditure  of  a  few  rubles  on  vodka,  in 
the  case  of  the  men,  and  the  never-rejected  invitation 
on  the  part  of  most  officers  to  join  in  a  jamboree, 
made  me  a  very  popular  figure  indeed.  Through 
them  I  learned  that  the  provisions  of  Port  Arthur 
were  in  a  most  deplorable  state.  To  use  but  one  in- 
stance :  Out  of  1,420,000  pounds  of  flour,  nearly  one- 
half  was  bad  with  sour  cords,  which  caused  part  of 
the  enormous  amount  of  sickness  even  then  prevail- 
ing in  the  Port  Arthur  garrison.  During  the  war 
forty-five  per  cent,  of  the  troops  were  incapacitated 
because  of  unsanitary  food.  I  found  500,000  pounds 
of  maize  were  wormy  and  over  700,000  pounds  of 
corned  beef  were  putrid.  Women  and  wine,  however, 
abounded. 

Never  in  any  place  —  and  I  know  all  the  gayest 
and  fastest  places  on  earth  —  have  I  seen,  compara- 
tively speaking,  such  an  enormous  amount  of  wine 
in  stock,  or  such  a  number  of  demi-mondaines  as- 
sembled. Most  of  the  officers  had  private  harems. 
I  often  sat  in  the  Casino  and  watched  the  officers  of 
the  First  Tomsk  Eegiment,  the  Twenty-fifth  and 
Twenty-sixth  Siberian  Rifles  practicing  with  their 
newly  supplied  Mauser  pistols  on  tables  loaded  with 
bottles  containing  the  most  costly  vintage  wines  and 
cognacs.  At  such  times  the  place  literally  ran  ankle 

47 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GEEMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

deep  in  wine.  There  were  over  sixty  gambling  houses 
and  dancing  halls  supporting  more  than  a  thousand 
filles  de  joie.  In  fact,  the  general  intemperance  was 
such  that  on  the  night  of  Admiral  Togo's  attack  more 
than  half  the  complement  of  the  Russian  fleet  was 
ashore,  dead  drunk,  in  honor  of  one  of  the  tutelary 
Russian  saints. 

The  harbor  defenses  comprising  submarine  mines 
and  searchlight  stations,  etc.,  I  found  to  be  in  the 
worst  condition.  In  pottering  around,  I  visited  many 
of  the  switchboard  stations  controlling  the  subma- 
rine mine  fields.  Everywhere  the  eye  met  evidences 
of  defective  work  —  rusty  contacts,  open  insulations 
and  exposed  connections.  There  were  carelessly  ex- 
posed buoys  betraying  to  the  naked  eye  supposedly 
invisible  submarine  mines.  The  whole  mine  field 
was  so  badly  laid  that  the  Japanese  were  subsequently 
able  to  drag  and  explode  three  out  of  every  five  mines. 
This  explains  the  astounding  fact  that  during  Ad- 
miral Togo's  five  dashes,  some  of  them  lasting  thirty- 
six  hours,  all  that  he  lost  from  torpedoes  and  mines 
was  one  ship,  the  Hatsuse,  which  struck  a  floating 
mine. 

I  did  a  great  deal  of  investigating  the  composition 
and  geological  formation  of  the  ground  surrounding 
Port  Arthur.  I  found  most  of  the  ground  consisting 
of  loose  layers  of  lava  scoriae.  The  comparative  easy 
capture  of  the  otherwise  immensely  strong  203  Metre 
Hill  did  not  surprise  me.  The  texture  of  the  ground, 
besides  having  a  deadening  effect  on  shell  fire,  made 

48 


INTO  THE  EAST 


the  approach  to  the  forts  by  means  of  parallels  sur- 
prisingly easy.  The  Japanese,  by  the  way,  also 
knew  this  peculiarity  of  the  ground  and  used  it  to 
great  advantage  in  their  advances.  I  also  found  the 
forts  on  174  and  131  Metre  Hills  as  well  as  the  north 
fort  of  East  Kekwan  in  an  incompleted  state.  The 
commander  of  the  forts,  General  Smyrnoff,  was  using 
strenuous  efforts  to  complete  the  work,  but  the  per- 
sonal animosity  of  General  Krondrachinko,  the  com- 
mander of  the  general  defenses,  vetoed  most  of  his 
suggestions.  The  vast  sums  of  money  which  the  Rus- 
sian central  government  appropriated  for  the  fortifi- 
cation of  Port  Arthur,  honestly  used,  would  have 
made  the  place  completely  impregnable.  It  is  not 
too  much  to  say  —  and  this  will  be  borne  out  by  any 
trained  observer  and  student  of  the  conditions  then 
existing  in  and  around  Port  Arthur  —  that  sixty  per 
cent,  of  the  money  for  defense  purposes  disappeared 
mysteriously. 

All  the  Russian  officers,  however,  were  not  grafters 
and  drunken  libertines.  Among  them  I  did  find  men 
of  alert  and  earnest  character  who  were  quite  aware 
of  the  frightful  conditions  existing,  but  who  were  so 
used  to  them  right  through  Russia  that  they  viewed 
things  with  true  Slavonic  composure.  I  even  found 
the  searchlight  stations  back  on  the  hills  to  be 
in  a  deplorable  state.  Indeed,  on  the  night  of  Togo's 
second  attack  on  Port  Arthur  the  power  plant  was 
out  of  order  and  the  searchlights  which  should  have 
flooded  the  harbor  with  light  were  dark.  The  plant 

49 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

was  subsequently  repaired  under  enormous  difficulties 
and  cost,  but  of  no  avail.  Coolie  spies  had  procured 
the  exact  location  of  the  power  house  and  searchlight 
stations  and  thus  aided,  the  Japanese  gunners  riddled 
them  with  shell.  A  great  deal  has  been  said  about 
the  wonderful  marksmanship  of  the  Japanese,  but 
for  the  most  part  it  was  due  to  data  on  exact  dis- 
tances and  locations,  furnished  by  their  spies. 

Although  the  officers  were  a  careless,  thoughtless 
lot,  I  found  that  the  personnel  of  the  garrison  con- 
tained, on  the  whole,  a  good  type  of  Kussian  soldier. 
They  were  not  brilliant  but  faithful  and  obedient. 
A  Kussian  regiment  is  never  routed.  They  stand  and 
are  killed,  being  too  stolid  to  run.  I  found  most  of 
the  officers  of  Port  Arthur  to  be  brilliant  dashing 
men  of  the  world,  personally  of  high  animal  courage, 
but  self-indulgence,  neglect,  disbelief  in  hostilities 
and  underestimation  of  their  foe,  undermined  them. 

Among  the  high  officials  at  Port  Arthur,  Colonel 
Keiss,  Commander  of  the  Ordnance  Service,  stood  out 
alone.  He  was  the  only  officer,  not  excepting  Gen- 
eral Stoessel  himself,  who  seemed  to  realize  the  grav- 
ity of  the  whole  situation.  In  long  chats  which  I  had 
with  him,  he  more  than  hinted  at  the  lamentable 
state  of  his  ammunition.  Once  I  asked  him  why  these 
conditions  were  not  changed  and  he  said: 

"The  Little  Father  (the  Czar)  is  far  away," — he 
shrugged  expressively. 

Officers  told  me  that  tons  and  tons  of  ammunition 
bags  did  not  contain  full  weight.  Whole  ammuni- 

50 


INTO  THE  EAST 


tion  trucks  had  only  a  double  layer  of  powder  bags 
on  top,  the  rest  containing  sand  bags  to  be  used  only 
for  bastions  and  escarpions,  the  money  flowing  into 
the  pockets  of  the  army  contractors.  I  met  General 
Stoessel  at  the  Casino  twice,  and  neither  time  did  he 
impress  me  as  a  military  genius.  A  soldier  of  the 
Buller  type,  he  was  bluff,  hearty,  courageous  and 
stupid.  His  florid  bearded  face,  thick-set  figure  and 
his  deep  guttural  growls  reminded  me  of  a  Boer  Dop- 
per. 

Among  all  the  Russians  I  met  at  Port  Arthur,  the 
most  interesting  figure  was  to  me  the  great  battle 
painter  Verestshagin.  I  am  proud  to  be  able  to  say 
that  he  called  me  "  friend."  I  happened  to  be  of  some 
assistance  to  him  in  alleviating  an  attack  of  malaria. 
This,  with  a  similar  taste  in  the  arts  and  literature, 
soon  put  us  on  a  friendly  and  intimate  footing.  I 
have  met  many  men  of  letters,  artists  and  statesmen, 
but  never  one  who  impressed  me  so  much  with  the 
profundity  of  his  learning  and  thought  as  did  Verest- 
shagin, and  I  am  not  easily  impressed. 

One  night  we  were  sitting  on  the  Casino  veranda 
overlooking  the  wonderful  Harbor  of  Port  Arthur. 
It  was  one  of  those  quiet,  balmy,  semi-tropical  nights 
for  which  this  part  of  the  world  is  famous,  one  of 
those  crystal,  clear,  soundless  nights,  and  the  sil- 
houettes of  Russia's  grim  silent  battle  monsters  rid- 
ing at  anchor  were  sharply  outlined  on  the  moonlit 
waters  of  the  bay.  We  were  smoking  our  pipes,  hav- 
ing just  finished  a  long  chat  about  the  history  of  these 

51 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

regions  —  the  old  Manchu  and  Tartar  dynasties, 
how  far  they  had  influenced  and  still  influence  the 
history  of  the  world,  the  Volker-Wanderung  —  of  the 
Huns,  the  Goths,  and  Vandals  —  a  subject  on  which 
Verestshagin  disclosed  a  deep  store  of  knowledge. 

As  the  night  was  far  advanced,  I  suggested  that  I 
had  probably  trespassed  long  enough  on  his  kindness 
and  hospitality.  He  turned  around  in  his  chair  and 
placing  his  hand  on  my  shoulder  said  in  his  soft  deep 
voice : 

"  No,  Doctor  Cannitz,  you  are  doing  me  a  service 
instead.  I  am  restless  to-night.  I  have  a  curious 
presentiment  that  before  long  these  lovely  hills  will 
hear  the  roar  of  guns  in  earnest."  Dreamily  speak- 
ing as  if  to  himself  he  continued,  "  And  Kussia  will 
lose  .  .  .  but  I  shall  not  see  it."  Abruptly  he  looked 
up,  sat  erect  in  his  chair  and  shook  himself  as  if 
throwing  off  something  that  oppressed  him. 

"  Do  you  believe  in  premonition.  Doctor?  I  know 
I  shall  find  my  death  here  soon." 

An  indescribable  shuddery  sensation  seemed  to  pass 
over  me.  I  am  by  no  means  sentimental  or  easily 
moved,  nor  am  I  overly  superstitious;  but  I  have  en- 
countered one  or  two  things  in  the  course  of  my  life 
which  cannot  be  explained  by  rule  and  line.  Throw- 
ing off  my  sudden  strange  mood,  I  told  Verestshagin 
that  his  morbid  fancies  were  due  to  his  still  feverish 
condition,  and  the  depressing  effect  of  over-doses  of 
sulphate  of  quinine.  He  rose  and  smiled,  and  said: 

"  Of  course  you  are  right,  Doctor." 

52 


INTO  THE  EAST 


Before  parting,  he  gave  me  a  little  sketch  of  Port 
Arthur  which  I  have  still.  I  keep  it  as  a  treasured 
memento  of  one  of  the  few  really  good  men  I  have 
met,  and  one  of  the  few  from  whom  I  had  been  able 
to  part  without  harming. 

Verestshagin's  premonition  was  fulfilled.  He  died 
—  a  hero's  death,  going  down  with  Admiral  Marakoff 
on  the  flagship  of  the  Russian  squadron  six  weeks 
later. 

I  remained  at  Port  Arthur  for  another  five  weeks, 
and  exactly  seven  days  before  Togo's  first  night  at- 
tack I  received  a  cable  from  my  government.  It  was 
in  cipher,  of  course,  and  I  was  ordered  to  leave  Port 
Arthur  immediately  and  make  my  way  home  as  there 
was  danger  of  my  being  bottled  up  at  any  minute. 
It  is  significant  that  in  the  Intelligence  Department 
at  Berlin  they  knew  an  attack  was  imminent,  although 
they  did  not  know  it  at  Port  Arthur.  Furthermore, 
Russian  securities  dropped  eighteen  points  on  the 
New  York  Stock  Exchange,  hours  before  the  official 
knowledge  of  the  attack  came  through.  This  informa- 
tion leaked  out  through  the  German  Embassy  in 
Washington.  Seven  days  after  I  left,  Togo  made  the 
torpedo  attack  in  which  he  sank  the  Czarevitch,  Ret- 
vitsan  and  Palada. 

Before  I  took  the  steamer  back  to  Europe,  I  went 
to  Kiou-Chau,  the  German  colony  in  China,  and  filed 
a  long  report  by  cipher  cable.  Six  months  later  I 
had  the  satisfaction  of  having  a  talk  with  numerous 
officers  of  the  German  General  Staff  and  of  receiving 

53 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

compliments  on  the  correctness  of  my  observations, 
reports  and  predictions. 

Later  I  learned  the  reasons  why  I  had  been  sent 
to  Port  Arthur.  Germany  desired  to  ascertain  the 
exact  relative  strength  of  the  Port  Arthur  defenses 
and  Kussian  positions  in  the  Far  East  for  the  follow- 
ing reasons : 

Since  the  time  of  Frederick  the  Great,  the  only 
power  on  the  Continent  which  Germany  has  feared 
and  has  always  been  loath  openly  to  quarrel  with,  is 
Kussia.  Through  the  setback  she  received  in  the 
Far  East  in  1905,  her  influence  steadily  decreased 
in  the  Balkans  and  the  recent  fiasco  of  Russian  machi- 
nations during  the  Balkan  war,  has  made  her  become  a 
secondary  factor,  for  decades  to  come.  Germany, 
through  her  keen  Intelligence  Department,  foresaw 
the  result  of  the  Russo-Japanese  conflict  and  immedi- 
ately set  about  to  undermine  and  destroy  Russian  in- 
fluence south  of  the  Austrian  border. 

By  Russia's  defeat  in  the  East,  the  balance  of  the 
power  was  completely  shifted.  It  gave  Germany 
and  Austria  the  desired  opportunities  and  a  free  hand 
in  the  Balkans  and  Turkey.  Had  Germany  through 
her  Intelligence  Department  found  Russia  invulnera- 
ble in  the  East,  the  map  of  the  Balkans  would  have 
to  be  painted  in  different  colors  —  as  you  will  see. 


54 


I  WAS  back  in  Berlin  from  my  mission  to  the  Far 
East  on  March  10,  1905.     The  next  four  months 
were  rather  commonplace  —  odd  little  commissions 
of  no  particular  interest  or  importance. 

On  July  the  5th,  however,  there  came  a  hurried 
summons  from  Captain  von  Tappken  for  me  to  report 
at  Koenigergratzerstrasse  70.  I  lost  no  time  in  get- 
ting around,  nor  did  I  have  to  wait  to  be  ushered  up. 
I  was  shown  direct  to  the  Captain's  office  and  as  he 
received  me,  I  noticed  that  he  was  in  a  rather  excited 
frame  of  mind. 

"  Verdammt !  Doctor !  I  am  going  to  lose  you 
I  am  requested  by  the  Wilhelmstrasse  to  hand  you 
over  to  them.  Very  annoying.  I  do  not  like  to  lose 
you  from  our  branch  here.  But  we  must  obey." 

I  expressed  my  regrets. 

"  Doctor,  you  are  bettering  yourself.  It  is  seldom 
that  they  over  there  take  any  notice  of  us  over  here,  or 
request  the  services  of  any  of  my  men.  But  your  work 
has  attracted  some  attention.  I  shall  request  that 
your  services  are  not  entirely  lost  to  this  department. 
Herr  Stammer  will  take  you  over.  Good-by  and  good 
luck!" 

55 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

He  gave  me  a  hearty  handshake  and  my  connection 
with  the  Intelligence  Department  of  the  Imperial 
Navy  came  to  an  end.  Stammer  and  I  hailed  a  taxi 
and  drove  to  the  Wilhelmstrasse,  where  the  door- 
keeper put  me  through  an  official  ceremony  similar 
to  the  procedure  of  Koenigergratzerstrasse  70.  Stam- 
mer gave  the  commissaire  his  card  and  we  were  shown 
into  a  chamber  and  bidden  to  wait.  I  was  frankly 
curious  about  what  was  in  store  for  me,  but  I  knew 
better  by  now  than  to  ask  questions.  Presently  there 
entered  a  tall,  thin,  iron-gray  gentleman,  the  very 
type  of  a  Prussian  bureaucrat.  Walking  with  quick 
nervous  steps  to  his  desk,  he  acknowledged  our  bows 
with  a  curt  nod  and  turning  to  Stammer  he  said : 

"Well,  Stammer?" 

"  This  is  Dr.  Graver,  your  Excellency." 

"  Ah,  yes.  Sehr  schon.  Convey  my  thanks  to  Cap- 
tain Tappken,  Stammer." 

Stammer  then  bowing  himself  out,  I  was  asked  to 
step  into  an  anteroom.  There  a  secretary  took  me 
in  hand  and  informed  me  that  the  tall,  thin,  iron- 
gray  gentleman  was  Graf  Botho  von  Wedel,  Wirk- 
licher  Geheimrat  and  Vortragender  Kab  Botho  Kaiser 
—  (Privy  Councilor  to  the  German  Emperor). 

So  —  Count  Wedel.  H'm !  Although  this  was  the 
first  time  I  had  seen  the  Count,  I  had  heard  a  great 
deal  about  him.  The  Emperor's  Privy  Councilor  and 
right  hand  was  the  head  of  the  political  sections  of 
the  Secret  Service.  This  promised  to  be  interesting. 
I  wondered  what  the  likely  upshot  would  be,  but  I 

56 


was  interrupted  in  my  soliloquy  by  a  summons  to  re- 
enter  the  Count's  chamber. 

I  was  shown  to  a  seat.  Graf  Wedel  looked  me  over 
carefully  and  minutely  for  a  considerable  length  of 
time  with  a  frank  stare  of  appraisal. 

"  How  old  are  you,  Doctor?  " 

I  must  confess  my  extreme  youth  always  made  this 
question  one  of  secret  annoyance. 

"  Twenty-five,  your  Excellency." 

"  Very  young,  very  young."  He  stared  at  me  again 
and  after  a  pause  said: 

"  Yet  the  reports  about  your  work  are  satisfactory 
and  show  discretion  and  intelligence  above  your 
years." 

I  bowed  in  acknowledgment. 

"  You  will  from  now  on,"  he  said,  "  become  attached 
to  this  section  of  the  Service.  You  will  be  trusted 
with  some  very  grave  and  important  matters.  You 
will  receive  your  orders  and  instructions  only  from 
me.  You  will  report  only  to  me  direct.  On  no  ac- 
count will  you  see  any  subordinate  or  any  person,  no 
matter  what  his  official  status,  without  my  expressed 
permission.  Verstehen  sie?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  For  funds,"  he  continued,  "  you  will  apply  to  my 
secretary.  Of  your  expenses  you  will  furnish  a 
monthly  account.  How  soon  can  you  be  ready  to  go 
on  a  mission?  " 

I  told  him  in  two  hours. 

"  Good !  "  he  exclaimed ;  "  the  sooner  the  better. 

57 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

This  is  what  I  want  you  to  do.  You  will  go  at  once 
to  Constantinople  and  find  out  which  of  the  court 
officials  are  in  French  and  Russian  pay.  You  will 
find  out  the  favorites  of  the  high  officials  and  officers, 
especially  the  nationality  of  these  women.  I  will  not 
give  you  any  points  of  introductions.  They  might 
lead  you  to  be  suspected.  They  are  a  crafty  lot  down 
there.  Be  careful  and  take  your  time.  You  know 
nothing  can  be  done  in  a  hurry  down  in  that  country," 
—  he  paused  as  if  waiting  for  questions  from  me. 
We  discussed  a  few  minor  points  then  he  said : 

"Your  official  number  with  us  from  now  on  will 
be  1734.  You  will  always  use  17  to  sign  personal 
cipher  messages  sent  to  me.  You  will  use  34  in  sign- 
ing official  reports  and  communications." 

The  necessary  arrangements  for  my  preliminary 
expenses  were  discussed  with  one  of  his  secretaries  and 
I  then  went  back  to  my  quarters  to  think  over  a  plan 
of  campaign  and  prepare  myself  for  the  mission.  The 
transfer  from  Captain  Tappken?s  department  pleased 
me  for  I  knew  that  at  the  Wilhelmstrasse  I  would  be  in 
closer  touch  with  the  bigger  affairs  of  diplomacy. 
Tappken  had  hinted  at  my  finding  favor  with  the  Wil- 
helmstrasse and  I  guessed  that  coming  on  top  of  my 
Port  Arthur  success  a  delicate  private  mission  was 
responsible  for  it.  To  cite  the  case : 

Germany  keeps  a  watch  on  all  her  officers.  When 
one  of  them  is  spending  more  money  than  his  income, 
he  is  promptly  investigated.  I  recalled  how  they  had 
sent  me  to  the  Spandau  Garrison  to  inquire  into  the 

58 


AT  THE  SUBLIME  PORTE 


affairs  of  an  officer  who  was  too  lavish  with  his  money 
to  suit  the  Intelligence  Department.  He  was  an  ord- 
nance officer  in  a  small  arms  factory  at  Spandau  and 
it  was  the  natural  conclusion  that  he  was  obtaining 
this  extra  money  by  selling  state  secrets. 

I  encountered,  however,  an  entirely  different  situa- 
tion. I  learned  that  he  was  absolutely  innocent  on 
that  score  but  that  he  was  receiving  money  from  a 
certain  princess  who  had  become  infatuated  with  him. 
She  was  of  a  very  high  house  and  I  realized  that  her 
name  could  not  be  mentioned  in  a  report  to  Captain 
Tappken.  This  situation  required  delicate  treatment. 
I  solved  the  dilemma  by  reporting  to  Tappken  that 
the  ordnance  officer  was  guiltless  of  any  act  of  trea- 
son against  his  country.  I  then  made  a  private  re- 
port, covering  the  intimate  facts,  which  went  direct 
to  officials  of  higher  responsibility.  The  princess' 
name  did  not  appear  as  far  as  subordinates  were  con- 
cerned and  the  whole  affair  was  hushed  up.  My  for- 
tunate discretion  in  this  matter  undoubtedly  strength- 
ened my  standing  with  the  Wilhelmstrasse. 

By  this  time  I  had  installed  myself  in  quiet  quar- 
ters on  the  Mittelstrasse,  and  Kim,  who  had  been 
transformed  from  a  Basuto  boy  into  an  efficient  man 
servant,  looked  after  my  comforts.  To  secure  myself 
from  the  questions  of  prying  neighbors,  I  had  caused 
it  to  be  known  that  I  was  a  retired  South  African 
planter  inclined  to  poor  health.  This  was  the  most 
likely  explanation  for  my  curious  mode  of  living  and 
my  sudden  periodical  disappearances,  for  I  was  away 

59 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

from  the  Mittelstrasse  for  months  at  a  time.  Pre- 
sumably I  was  traveling  about  to  the  different  water- 
ing places  on  the  Continent  for  my  health. 

My  mission  to  Constantinople  called  for  some  con- 
siderable thought  in  selecting  the  most  advisable 
character  to  impersonate.  A  tourist  came  first  to 
mind.  A  tourist  was  out  of  the  question,  because 
tourists  do  not  stay  long  in  one  place  and  I  expected 
to  be  three  or  four  months  in  Turkey.  There  was 
nothing  to  study  in  Constantinople.  I  thought  of 
a  student  of  botany,  the  role  I  had  used  at  Port 
Arthur.  But  that  would  not  do.  The  idea  of  a  mer- 
chant came  to  me,  but  I  dismissed  the  idea  of  a  pros- 
perous merchant,  for  it  would  necessitate  making 
business  connections,  a  careful  and  slow  process,  the 
fulfillment  of  which  would  consume  entirely  too  much 
time.  I  finally  decided  to  travel  as  a  physician,  or 
to  use  the  Turkish  word  a  Hakim.  A  Hakim  is  al- 
ways accorded  respect,  even  reverence,  by  Turks  and 
Arabs.  This  character  determined  upon,  I  went  to 
the  telephone  and  requested  the  Service  Intelligence 
Department  to  give  me  letters  of  introduction  to  the 
German  hospital  and  the  Pera  Hospital  in  Con- 
stantinople. They  were  sent  to  me  signed  by  the 
authorities  of  the  Charitee  in  Berlin  and  described 
that  I  was  going  to  study  tropical  and  Asiatic 
diseases  and  requested  that  the  hospitals  give  me 
every  facility  for  research  work.  I  had  Kim  pack 
a  case  of  medical  instruments  and  told  him  to 
have  everything  in  readiness  to  leave  Berlin  that 

60 


AT  THE  SUBLIME  PORTE 


night,  on  the  Orient  Express.  He  was  necessary  to 
my  plans  and  was  to  accompany  me.  A  messenger 
from  Wedel  brought  a  few  final  verbal  instructions, 
my  funds  and  sealed  instructions.  I  was  bidden  to 
keep  away  from  all  official  German  intercourse  in 
Constantinople.  Wedel  might  have  saved  himself 
the  trouble  of  that  word  of  caution  for  I  knew  enough 
of  the  subtle  Oriental  mind  to  keep  away  from  any- 
thing that  would  raise  the  slightest  suspicion  in  re- 
gard to  my  identity.  If  I  pride  myself  on  anything, 
it  is  a  knowledge  of  Eastern  character.  With  the  in- 
structions were  a  thousand  marks  cash  and  a  draft 
for  5000  marks  on  the  Ottoman  Bank  of  Constanti- 
nople that  had  been  deposited  in  my  name. 

It  may  strike  the  reader  as  curious  that  I  took 
Kim  with  me,  but  I  knew  he  could  be  of  tremendous 
use  to  me  in  Constantinople.  In  addition  to  speak- 
ing his  Kaffir  dialects,  he  knew  Arabic.  Any  negro 
boy  who  could  speak  Arabic  could  learn  almost  any- 
thing in  Constantinople,  which  abounds  in  black  men 
of  all  tribes  and  nationalities.  Among  the  servants 
of  every  household,  Kim  would  find  many  compatriots 
from  whom  he  could  get  information,  impossible  for 
any  European  to  obtain. 

After  an  uneventful  trip  to  Constantinople,  I  took 
preliminary  quarters  in  the  Brasserie  Kor,  a  quiet, 
second-rate  hostelry  on  the  Hue  Osmanly.  I  went  to 
an  unpretentious  place  to  avoid  attracting  any  par- 
ticular attention.  Had  I  put  up  at  an  expensive  hotel 
there  would  immediately  have  been  queries  about  me. 

61 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

Who  is  this  stranger?  He  seems  to  have  money. 
If  it  isn't  his  money,  whose  money  is  he  spending? 
It  is  not  well  to  invite  a  Turk's  suspicion.  As  I  was 
totally  unacquainted  with  Constantinople,  I  used  the 
first  week  for  getting  familiar  with  the  geography  of 
the  city.  It  was  necessary  that  I  learn  the  location 
of  the  various  legations  and  the  residences  of  high 
court  officials.  The  next  week  I  found  lodgings  in 
the  very  center  of  the  district  of  court  residences  and 
began  to  seek  out  the  haunts  and  places  of  rendezvous 
of  deini-mondaines,  favorites  and  hangers-on  of  the 
Turkish  officials.  On  the  second  day  of  my  arrival, 
I  had  presented  my  credentials  and  letters  at  the 
German  Pera  Hospital,  and  had  my  name  entered  as 
a  visiting  honorary  surgeon.  Every  day  thereafter, 
rain  or  ^hine,  I  made  it  a  point  to  spend  some  time 
at  these  hospitals,  and  it  was  well  that  I  did.  Once 
a  day  and  often  twice  I  would  sign  the  book  at  the 
hospital  and  I  believe  that  the  signature  Dr.  Franz 
von  Graver  appears  on  the  record  books  of  the  Pera 
and  German  Hospitals  in  Constantinople,  at  least  one 
hundred  times.  Was  I  not  fulfilling  my  duties  as  a 
physician  doing  research  work? 

I  finally  located  myself  in  the  residential  district 
of  Pera  where  I  rented  a  small  residence,  typical  of 
the  well-to-do  Turk  of  the  middle  class  and  quite  in 
keeping  with  my  assumed  character.  An  elaborate 
residence  would  have  aroused  immediate  suspicion, 
for  there  is  no  country  on  earth  where  curiosity  and 
suspicion  is  so  easily  roused  as  in  Turkey.  Kipling, 

62 


AT  THE  SUBLIME  PORTE 


who  knows  the  East  so  well,  portrayed  Port  Said  as 
the  dwelling  place  of  concentrated  wickedness.  He 
is  right,  but  I  do  not  think  he  has  ever  visited  Stam- 
boul.  In  Stamboul  there  is  with  no  exception  the 
most  conglomerate  mixture  of  nondescript  nationali- 
ties on  the  face  of  the  earth.  Not  only  are  all  na- 
tionalities represented  but  breeds  of  men  that  defy 
all  pathological  research,  hideous  in  their  conglomer- 
ate intermixtures.  If  an  Albanian  bandit,  himself 
a  mixture  of  Greek  and  Nubian  mulatto,  has  issue 
by  an  Arab  woman  with  French  blood  —  find  the  gen- 
ealogy. Can  you  imagine  a  more  difficult  field  of 
operations  for  an  Occidental  and  a  stranger? 

In  the  course  of  my  preliminary  observations,  I 
found  Constantinople  to  be  a  city  of  sharp  contrasts. 
The  quarters  inhabited  by  your  true  Ottoman  are  char- 
acteristically clean  and  comfortable.  The  remainder 
of  the  city  except  foreign  quarters  is  intolerably 
dirty.  With  true  Oriental  tolerance,  the  Turk  lets 
things  gang  their  ain  gait.  The  casual  observer  and 
traveler  always  confounds  the  Turk  with  the  rest  of 
the  nondescript  mass  of  humanity  that  swarms  in 
Constantinople.  That  is  a  crass  mistake.  Your  true 
descendant  of  Ossman  is  a  clean,  dignified,  easy-go- 
ing gentleman  with  a  deep  philosophical  strain  in  his 
make-up,  contaminated  by  hundreds  of  years  of  con- 
tact—  not  association,  for  your  true  Turk  does  not 
associate  —  with  the  outcast  Mischling  of  southern 
Europe  and  Asia  Minor. 

My  mission  was  indeed  a  difficult  one  and  only  by 

63 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

tedious,  painstaking  work,  observing  the  life  of  the 
city  and  its  character,  I  succeeded  in  isolating  the 
individual  who  gave  me  the  key  to  the  circumventuous 
political  life  and  the  government  of  Constantinople. 
It  took  me  a  full  month  of  night  work  to  become 
familiar  with  the  innumerable  demi-mondaines. 
They  were  of  French,  Russian  and  Circassian  birth 
and  extraction,  and  were  identified  with  the  various 
Turkish  court  officials  from  the  Grand  Vizier  down 
to  an  officer  in  the  Ganitsharies.  This  preliminary 
work  is  always  exhausting,  but  it  is  so  necessary  on 
a  mission  of  this  kind.  One  blunder,  one  step  in  the 
dark,  and  you  are  gone.  One  spends  months  with- 
out any  tangible  results,  often  going  on  the  wrong 
track.  One  has  to  be  excruciatingly  circumspect  in 
one's  inquiries.  To  use  a  hunter's  expression,  there 
is  no  quarry  so  wary,  sharp-sighted  and  keen  at  smell- 
ing the  wind  as  a  political  demi-mondaine. 

In  this  work  Kim  was  of  inestimable  value  to  me. 
In  fact,  without  him  I  would  not  have  succeeded  at 
all.  All  the  households  kept  by  the  Turkish  officials 
and  their  favorites  swarm  with  negroes  of  the  various 
types.  A  white  man  has  not  the  slightest  chance  of 
finding  the  way  into  their  confidences.  The  univer- 
sal golden  key  does  not  unloose  tongues  in  such  cases 
in  the  Orient.  But  Kim  as  a  member  of  the  once 
mighty  Zulu  nation  (he  was  really  a  descendant  of 
a  prince  of  the  house  of  Dingaan)  was  able,  through 
a  mysterious  free  masonry  still  existing  among  col- 

64 


AT  THE  SUBLIME  POKTE 


ored  races  the  world  over,  to  obtain  most  valuable 
information. 

My  method  of  campaign  was  to  ascertain  the  name 
of  one  of  the  favorites  of  the  Turkish  officials,  to  lo- 
cate her  residence  and  then  put  Kim  to  work.  Finally 
locating  one  of  these  women,  I  would  manage  to  learn 
her  name  and  where  she  lived.  Then  it  was  time  for 
Kim. 

"  Kim,"  I  said,  "  I  want  you  to  find  out  who  comes 
to  see  her,  whether  it  is  always  the  same  official  and 
if  so,  how  frequently.  I  want  you  to  learn  every- 
thing you  can  about  any  letters  she  may  receive.  I 
want  to  know  just  where  she  gets  her  money  from, 
if  she  has  any  outside  sources  of  revenue,  other  than 
in  Constantinople.  I  want  every  scrap  of  any  kind 
of  information  about  her." 

And  Kim  would  go  his  way,  seek  out  the  servants 
in  that  household  and  he  would  generally  come  back 
with  all  this  information. 

Now  I  noticed  that  a  certain  Mile.  Balniaux  was 
very  much  in  the  company  of  Abdulla,  who  was  at  that 
time  the  influential  adviser  of  the  Grand  Vizier.  It 
was  known  in  Berlin  that  the  Grand  Vizier  had  lately 
become  very  deaf  and  antagonistic  to  German  influ- 
ence. The  Wilhelmstrasse  knew  that  France  and 
Russia  were  at  work,  but  were  in  the  dark  as  to  the 
channels.  Therefore  I  sent  Kim  to  ascertain  if  Mile. 
Balniaux  was  visited  by  Abdulla  at  her  private  resi- 
dence. I  told  him  to  learn  the  exact  hour  of  ar- 

65 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

rival  in  each  instance  and  the  length  of  the  visits. 
The  bare  fact  that  Abdulla  might  be  seen  in  her  com- 
pany in  public  bore  no  particular  significance.  These 
women  are  always  accompanied  by  a  whole  retinue 
of  officers  and  young  Turkish  noblemen.  It  is  part 
of  their  work.  Their  method  of  procedure  is  to 
bewitch  young  officers  and  officials,  attach  them  to 
their  person,  make  them  spend  huge  sums  of  money 
and  then  play  their  card.  I  noticed  that  the  money 
Turkish  officers  squandered  on  these  women  com- 
pared to  their  pay  and  income  was  tremendous.  They 
think  nothing  of  going  ahead  blindly  and  buying  the 
most  expensive  jewels;  I  have  seen  them  even  buy 
motorcars.  The  result  is  not  difficult  to  forecast. 
The  young  officer  soon  finds  himself  head  over  heels 
in  debt.  Two  courses  are  open  to  him.  Either  he 
must  pay  the  debt  or  be  transferred  to  some  dreary 
interior  post,  and  a  Turk  who  has  been  in  the  gay 
life  of  Constantinople  would  rather  commit  suicide 
than  go  to  any  inland  garrison.  Those  women  then 
pay  the  debts,  exacting  state  secrets  as  the  price  of 
their  timely  assistance. 

Abdulla,  therefore,  might  only  be  one  of  these 
hangers-on.  Kim  established  connections  with  Mile. 
Balniaux's  household  and  soon  I  had  the  required  in- 
formation. He  brought  me  letters  and  scraps  of 
paper  that  Mile.  Balniaux's  dark  skinned  servants 
had  stolen  for  him.  He  supplemented  this  by  con- 
versations that  the  servants  had  overheard  and  told 
to  Kim.  All  this  showed  me  that  more  by  good  luck 

66 


AT  THE  SUBLIME  PORTE 


I  had  stumbled  upon  the  hotbed  of  the  prime  mover 
of  the  whole  intrigue,  Mile.  Balniaux.  There  was  not 
the  slightest  hope  of  intimidating  or  buying  over  this 
particular  lady's  allegiance.  I  had  to  learn  exactly 
who  was  subsidizing  her  machinations  and  there  was 
no  possibility  of  obtaining  the  clew  from  her. 

I  must  find  the  accessible  person  among  her  inti- 
mate friends.  From  time  to  time  I  had  seen  her 
with  a  pretty  little  dark-haired  girl  wTho  danced 
in  the  Folies  Arabic.  I  learned  her  name  was  Ce- 
celia Coursan.  I  began  to  frequent  the  Folies,  a  kind 
of  cabaret  crowded  every  night  with  Turkish  officers. 
Admiration  was  no  longer  a  delight  to  her  and  she 
accepted  it  with  a  wooden  smile. 

The  Folies  is  quite  dissimilar  from  its  European 
or  American  prototypes,  by  reason  of  its  Oriental  at- 
mosphere. Most  of  the  year  round  it  is  conducted 
in  the  open.  Picture  a  large  court,  the  center  of 
which  is  covered  with  a  priceless  Smyrna  carpet. 
Seated  around  on  little  divans  and  silk  cushions  are 
the  principal  native  performers,  Neulah  girls  wearing 
the  teasing  Yamashk,  covering  half  their  faces  al- 
though the  rest  of  their  figures  are  visible  through 
gauzy  Damascene  shawls.  The  European  performers, 
dressed  in  the  latest  and  most  startling  Paris  crea- 
tions, flirt  and  flitter  among  the  audience  —  seated 
around  on  dainty  marble-topped  bamboo  tables,  in- 
haling, in  the  case  of  Madame,  a  dainty  "  Regie,"  or 
if  Bey  or  Effendi,  a  Tshibuk  or  Narghile,  gravely 
drawing  on  the  amber  mouthpiece  and  slowly  ex- 

67 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

haling  the  perfumed  smoke.  The  gorgeous  officers' 
uniforms,  mostly  a  vivid  red,  blue  and  gold;  the  pic- 
turesque flowing  robes  and  burnouses,  with  here  and 
there  a  six-foot  stalwart  silk  trousered  Albanian  with 
gold  and  silver  inlaid  daggers  and  pistols  thrust  in  his 
sash,  make  a  picture  reminding  one  of  the  Sheherezade. 

Observing  that  everybody  was  bent  on  spoiling  this 
popular  little  houri  by  emphatic  admiration,  I  made 
myself  conspicuous  by  a  peculiarly  British  stony  in- 
difference. Nor  was  I  wrong  in  my  tactics.  The 
piqued  little  dancer  was  not  to  be  ignored. 

One  night  she  approached  my  table  and  challenged 
me  in  French,  at  which  I  gave  a  noncommittal  smile. 
I  pretended  that  I  did  not  know  French.  Then  she 
tried  indifferent  German  and  I  looked  at  her  with 
puzzled  blankness.  Finally  she  spoke  to  me  in  a 
piquant  English  and  I  answered.  She  spoke  English 
extremely  well  and  it  developed  that  she  had  been  a 
choriphy^e  at  the  London  Empire.  I  let  the  acquaint- 
ance grow  leisurely.  One  night  I  found  her  in  a  fit  of 
despondency,  over  a  quarrel  with  her  friend,  Mile. 
Balniaux.  My  subterfuge  getting  effective,  I  was 
just  beginning  to  ply  her  with  questions  when  a  Turk- 
ish officer  full  of  cognac  wandered  by  and  dropped 
a  remark"  to  her  in  French.  It  went  against  the  grain 
for  those  swine  to  cast  innuendoes  to  a  white  woman 
and  forgetting  my  play  acting,  I  told  him  his  com- 
ments were  uncalled  for  and  advised  him  to  draw  in 
his  horns  a  bit.  After  a  little  bluster  to  which  I  an- 
grily replied  in  French,  he  disappeared,  and,  as  I  sat 

68 


AT  THE  SUBLIME  PORTE 


down  at  the  table,  Cecelia  was  looking  at  me  with  a 
queer  smile. 

"I  thought  you  did  not  understand  French,"  she 
said.  "  I  observe  you  have  a  pretty  good  Parisian 
accent."  Then  the  full  significance  of  my  blunder 
came  to  me  and  I  felt  like  the  classic  capricornus, 
meaning  goat.  She  said  she  was  tired  of  the  Folies 
that  night  and  suggested  a  drive.  I  called  a  careta 
and  as  we  were  driving  down  the  boulevard  I  said  to 
her: 

"  Is  this  existence  always  pleasant?  Is  it  not  as 
it  was  with  that  officer,  often  unendurable?  " 

She  replied  in  a  bantering  tone,  only  half  hiding  a 
hurt  undernote. 

"  I'm  getting  used  to  it,"  she  said.  "  A  Turkish 
pig  is  no  worse  than  an  English  cad  or  a  German 
boor." 

The  typical,  philandering  Broadway  or  Bond 
Street  masher  makes  the  physiological  mistake  of  un- 
dervaluing the  innate  sense  of  decency  inherent  in 
every  woman.  Gentle  courtesy  and  manners  impress 
a  courtesan  by  reason  of  the  novelty.  The  inverse 
is  often  useful  in  dealing  with  a  pampered  society 
woman. 

Much  to  the  annoyance  of  the  Turkish  officers,  I 
often  thereafter  took  the  pretty  Cecelia  away  from  the 
Folies,  after  her  performance,  for  a  drive,  and  I  began 
to  compare  her  small  confidences  with  certain  bits 
of  information  that  Kim  had  given  me.  I  knew,  or 
I  could  pretty  well  guess,  that  she  was  not  staying 

69 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

in  Constantinople,  enduring  the  insults  of  those 
Turkish  officers,  simply  for  the  money  she  could  earn 
as  a  dancer.  Then  I  made  my  second  dramatic  play 
for  confidence.  I  suddenly  stopped  going  to  the 
Folies.  I  suppose  it  was  rather  lonesome  in  Con- 
stantinople and  a  man  who  was  not  a  Turk  was  a 
novelty. 

One  afternoon  she  sent  for  me  and  I  was  confronted 
with  a  human  situation  which  I  must  in  this  narrative 
of  Secret  Service  operations  treat  as  impersonal 
though  it  is  full  of  pathetic  implications.  I  found 
her  with  her  luggage  packed. 

"  Why  haven't  you  come  to  the  Folies  lately?  "  she 
demanded  with  a  pretty  air  of  bossing  the  situation. 

I  told  her  my  work  at  the  hospital  had  made  heavy 
inroads  upon  my  time. 

"  Oh !  "  she  began,  tapping  a  little  boot  impatiently 
on  the  floor ;  after  a  pause,  "  I  have  to  leave  for  Paris. 
.  .  .  Well?" 

"  That  is  most  unfortunate." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  To  say  anything  more  would  only  be  painful,  Ma- 
chere  Cecelia." 

"  But  there  is  no  need  of  our  being  blue.  Why 
not  make  the  occasion  a  happy  one?  Why  not  come 
along  to  Paris?  " 

She  looked  up  at  me  with  an  impudent  little  smile. 

"  My  dear  little  girl,"  I  said,  "  I  am  no  man  of 
means  and  I  cannot  go  gadding  about  Europe.  Be- 

70 


AT  THE  SUBLIME  PORTE 


sides,  I  have  my  work  here.  I  will  be  busy  at  the  hos- 
pital for  another  month." 

That  seemed  to  displease  her.  She  looked  at  me 
carefully,  unconsciously  her  manner  changed.  She 
became  somewhat  appraising.  It  seemed  as  though 
a  different  woman  was  speaking, 

"  Franz,"  she  said,  "  a  man  like  you  is  wasting  his 
time  pottering  around  a  hospital  with  your  evident 
knowledge  of  the  world  and  people.  With  your  edu- 
cation and  travels  you  ought  to  be  very  valuable  to  cer- 
tain men  back  in  Paris." 

I  felt  what  was  coming,  but  I  asked  her  to  explain. 
She  did  so  and  from  her  I  received  a  tentative  offer 
to  enter  the  French  Secret  Service.  I  had  difficulty 
in  mastering  the  muscles  of  my  face  to  keep  from 
betraying  the  laughter  that  was  almost  ready  to  break 
out.  Very  gravely  I  asked  her  to  tell  me  more  about 
Secret  Service.  Proudly,  Cecelia  showed  me  letters 
that  she  had  received  from  Paris.  From  the  addresses 
and  the  signatures  I  thus  learned  the  individuals  in 
direct  control  of  the  system  that  was  undermining 
German  influence  by  using  demi-mondaines  such  as 
Mile.  Balniaux.  I  gathered  that  Cecelia  Coursan  was 
only  a  go-between  for  Mile.  Balniaux  in  making  her 
reports  to  the  French  government.  I  asked  her  some 
more  questions,  exclaiming  that  her  proposal  inter- 
ested me  tremendously. 

I  pretended  to  be  particularly  anxious  as  to  what 
pay  I  would  receive  were  I  to  come  to  an  understand- 

71 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

ing  with  "  her  friend  in  Paris."  She  assured  me  it 
was  liberal  and  urged  me  to  hasten  to  Paris.  I  told 
her  that  as  soon  as  I  finished  my  work  at  the  hos- 
pitals I  would  do  so.  She  then  asked  me  to  take 
charge  of  her  mail  and  to  forward  any  letters  that 
might  come  for  her.  I  did  —  to  the  Wilhelmstrasse. 

That  incident  is  one  of  those  in  my  Secret  Service 
work  of  which  I  am  not  entirely  proud.  Of  course 
from  my  viewpoint  Cecelia  Coursan  was  not  a  woman, 
she  was  simply  the  paid  agent  of  another  govern- 
ment and  it  was  a  case  of  her  wits  against  mine;  at 
least  with  this  sophistry  I  quieted  my  doubts. 

Three  years  later  I  found  the  same  little  woman 
in  an  obscure  cafe  in  Antwerp.  She  was  no  longer 
in  the  French  Service.  I  concluded  that  her  blunder 
in  Constantinople  had  "  broken  "  her,  for  she  seemed 
to  have  gone  down  the  ladder.  She  did  not  recog- 
nize me,  but  as  she  seemed  to  be  in  straitened  circum- 
stances, I  found  a  way  to  assist  her  to  at  least  three 
months'  board  and  lodging  by  sending  her  anony- 
mously 500  francs.  It  was  conscience  money. 

When  I  had  thus  located  and  coupled  up  the  chiefs 
of  the  French  Secret  Service  with  the  situation  in 
Constantinople,  I  began  quietly  to  cultivate  the  ac- 
quaintance of  the  average  Turkish  officer.  I  had  to 
learn  the  tendency  of  their  thoughts.  I  met  officers 
and  merchants,  administrators  and  students.  From 
them  all  I  learned  that  they  were  sick  of  the  intrigues 
and  wire-pulling  of  the  harems.  I  learned  of  the  dis- 
content of  the  Young  Turk  party.  I  gathered  that 

72 


AT  THE  SUBLIME  PORTE 


the  time  was  ripe  for  an  overturning  of  the  govern- 
ment. In  my  report  I  made  a  correct  forecast  of  the 
trend  of  affairs.  I  drew  attention  to  Enver  Bey,  who 
was  even  then  considered,  clever,  even  dangerous,  by 
the  Grand  Vizier.  As  a  most  aggressive  Young  Turk, 
they  had  sent  him  to  an  obscure  post  in  Thessalonia, 
but  upon  sounding  out  the  younger  officers  I  found 
that  he  was  still  regarded  highly.  Without  doubt 
my  reports  in  addition  to  the  reports  made  by  von 
der  Golz,  the  accredited  German  instructor  of  the 
Turkish  Army,  helped  to  shape  the  policy  of  the  Ger- 
man Foreign  Office.  I  learned  beyond  all  doubt  that 
the  Sultan  Abdul  Hamid  was  nothing  but  a  figure- 
head, that  the  Grand  Vizier,  bought  by  Russian  and 
French  gold,  was  running  the  government  in  a  way 
that  was  antagonistic  to  German  influences  and  that 
the  swarms  of  demi-mondaines  in  French  and  Rus- 
sian pay  were  corrupting  the  higher  Turkish  officials 
to  their  cause.  All  these  things  I  included  in  my 
report  and  after  four  months  I  was  back  in  Berlin. 

To  better  understand  the  diplomatic  significance  of 
this  mission,  I  shall  recast  the  political  situation. 
The  modern  German  policy  in  the  European  Orient, 
inaugurated  by  Bismarck  as  a  defense  and  check 
against  Russia,  has  always  been  keen  on  the  friend- 
ship and  good  will  of  the  Turk  for  reasons  which  will 
be  obvious  enough  later.  During  the  Caprivi 
Chancellorship,  the  relation  between  the  two  empires 
became  rather  lax.  Wilhelm  II  with  his  keen  far- 
sightedness set  about  to  remedy  this.  In  his  usual 

73 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

spectacular,  but  in  most  cases  efficient,  manner,  he 
went  with  his  royal  concert  in  state  to  Palestine, 
calling  first  on  the  Sultan.  The  tremendously  enthu- 
siastic reception  that  the  Moslem  countries  accorded 
him  is  a  matter  of  contemporary  history.  This  was 
really  a  master  stroke  of  diplomacy  although  sharply 
criticised  at  the  time. 

Until  the  Kaiser's  visit,  France,  with  more  or  less 
right,  considered  herself  protector  general  of  all  Mo- 
hammedans. From  now  on  this  began  to  change. 
The  immediate  result  of  the  Emperor's  visit  was  a 
close  understanding  between  the  Wilhelmstrasse  and 
the  Sublime  Porte.  The  buying  of  vast  quantities 
of  guns,  ammunition,  and  the  influx  of  Prussian  of- 
ficers and  drilling  instructions,  besides  huge  orders 
of  all  sorts  of  German  goods  was  significant. 

The  always  uneasy  jealousy  of  France  and  Russia 
was  at  once  aroused,  England,  in  this  instance,  not 
taking  any  decided  stand  in  affairs.  England  had 
spent  many  lives  and  much  money,  notably  in  the 
Crimean  War,  to  keep  Russia  out  of  Turkey  and  was 
averse  to  encouraging  Kusso-French  influences  at  the 
Sublime  Porte.  How  far  England  would  like  either 
Germany  or  France  to  acquire  control  of  the  Dar- 
danelles remains  to  be  seen.  With  Russia,  it  has  been 
bloody  wars  and  grim  struggles  since  the  days  of 
Catherine,  misnamed  the  Great,  to  gain  control  of 
the  Dardanelles.  Unceasing  intrigues  have  been  and 
are  still  going  on  in  Stamboul.  Russia's  influence 
has  been  steadily  undermined  by  Germany,  in  Turkey 

74 


AT  THE  SUBLIME  PORTE 


and  Asia  Minor.  Since  the  disastrous  campaign 
against  Japan,  Russia  has  made  strenuous  efforts  to 
recoup  her  sphere  of  influence  through  her  coalition 
of  the  principal  Balkan  States.  Of  this  you  will 
learn  later. 

Germany,  always  including  Austria  (the  external 
policy  of  both  countries  on  all  these  questions  is 
synonymous),  found  French-Russian  influences  at 
work.  Through  their  marvelous,  efficient  Intelli- 
gence System,  Germany  soon  learned  who  were  the 
prime  movers  and  puppets ;  in  this  instance  the  Grand 
Vizier  and  the  Seraglio  officers;  the  then  sultan,  Ab- 
dul Hammid,  "  The  Damned,"  being  completely  cowed 
and  under  the  thumb  of  his  Grand  Vizier,  could  not 
be  relied  on  for  a  moment.  After  my  mission  they 
knew  in  Germany  that  the  time  was  ripe  for  a  radical 
change,  and  they  engineered  it.  Result:  A  revolu- 
tion and  the  Young  Turks  in  power,  with  Enver  Bey, 
Tuofick  Pasha,  Ibrahim  Mander  Bey  and  similar  men, 
with  German  training  and  learning,  directing  af- 
fairs. Germany  regained  complete  sway  and  is  to- 
day easily  the  most  powerful  influence  in  Turkey. 
What  significance  this  has  on  the  general  bearing  of 
European  politics,  I  shall  discuss  in  a  later  chapter. 


75 


THE  GEAND  DUKE'S  LETTER 

AFTER  a  number  of  more  or  less  strenuous  mis- 
sions, I  felt  thoroughly  run  down.  During  the 
Boer  War  I  had  been  shot  through  the  left  lung  and 
now  I  began  to  experience  trouble.  A  series  of 
hemorrhages  brought  about  by  unchecked  cold  and  ex- 
posure, led  me  to  consult  Professor  Bayer,  the  noted 
specialist  in  Berlin.  He  advised  me  to  get  away  from 
everything  for  a  month  at  least,  recommending  the 
pine  ozone. 

There  is  no  lack  of  pine  forests  in  Germany  or  Nor- 
way ;  and  I  had  plenty  of  acquaintances  in  both  coun- 
tries. To  any  one  of  them  I  would  have  been  welcome, 
but  this  would  have  entailed  social  obligations  and  I 
wanted  to  be  absolutely  alone.  There  were  but  two 
of  my  friends  at  whose  places  I  could  do  exactly  as  I 
wished,  where  man  and  beast  knew  me.  One,  whose 
place  was  in  the  Pushta,  Hungary,  was  probably  away 
on  a  hunting  trip  and  Hungary  was  too  remote.  The 
other,  a  schoolmate  of  mine,  lived  near  Furstenwalde, 
about  fifty-eight  kilometers  from  Berlin.  Fursten- 
walde, I  decided,  was  an  ideal  spot,  near  Berlin,  yet 
isolated  enough  and  in  the  heart  of  one  of  the  largest 
of  the  well-cared-for  Prussian  domain  forests.  So 

76 


THE  GRAND  DUKE'S  LETTER 


Ehrenkrug,  the  seat  of  the  Koenigliche  Ober  Forsterei 
and  the  family  seat  of  the  Freiherren  von  Ehrenkrug, 
was  the  place  I  selected. 

I  had  enjoyed  three  weeks  of  rest  and  quietness,  do- 
ing some  desultory  fishing  and  shooting  but  spending 
most  of  my  time  in  a  hammock  slung  under  some  of 
the  giant  Fichten,  when  my  sylvan  idyl  was  disturbed 
by  the  red-faced,  stub-nosed  post  boy  of  the  Forsterei. 

He  brought  me  a  letter  from  Graf  Wedel,  an  aston- 
ishing missive. 

Dear  Graves: 

I  hope  your  health  has  improved  sufficiently  for  you  to  attend  to 
this  matter.  Be  pleased  to  understand  that  this  is  by  no  means  an 
official  command.  However,  I  need  not  point  out  to  you  the  ad- 
vantages, accruing  to  you  through  your  assistance  in  the  case.  The 
matter  briefly  is  this.  I  have  been  approached  by  the  Grand  Duke 
of  Mecklenburg-Schwerein  to  assist  him  in  the  solving  of  a  rather 
delicate  private  affair.  It  is  outside  the  usual  routine  but  we  find 
it  advisable  to  comply.  The  mission  is  delicate  and  leads  into  Eng- 
land, for  which  reasons  I  have  decided  to  let  you  undertake  the  af- 
fair if  willing.  In  case  of  acceptance,  all  necessary  leave  of  absence 
will  be  arranged.  This  is  not  a  command  but  let  me  again  point  out 
the  advisability  of  your  showing  compliance. 

Truly  yours, 

V.  WEDEL. 

Three  weeks  in  the  pine  forests  had  been  better 
than  all  the  physicians  in  Berlin.  Besides,  I  was 
tired  of  the  monotonous  country  life  and  was  hungry 
for  the  fleshpots  of  Egypt.  Between  the  lines  of 
WedePs  letter  I  could  read  the  opportunities  for  earn- 
ing a  handsome  fee.  I  wrote  Wedel  that  I  had  no  ob- 
jections, providing  the  mission  was  something  I  could 

77 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

accomplish,  for  I  was  still  in  the  da^rk  as  to  its  nature. 
I  knew  that  intruding  into  the  private  affairs  of  ducal 
and  princely  houses  is  often  a  most  unthankful  busi- 
ness. I  have  ever  found  it  more  satisfactory  and  less 
nerve  racking  to  undertake  a  mission  into  some  for- 
eign country  than  to  become  involved  with  some  petty 
local  affair  of  royalty.  For  some  such  affair  I  judged 
to  be  the  dilemma  of  the  house  of  Mecklenburg- 
Schwerein. 

Within  two  days  there  came  another  communica- 
tion from  Wedel  asking  me  to  be  at  Mecklenburg- 
Schwerein  on  a  certain  immediate  day.  Taking  leave 
of  my  friends,  and  thanking  them  for  their  hospi- 
tality, I  left  for  Schwerein.  Upon  my  arrival  at 
the  seat  of  the  dukedom  I  was  met  by  a  quiet  landau 
of  the  Grand  Ducal  stables.  Two  flunkies  in  the 
Grand  Duke's  livery  took  my  luggage,  escorted  me  to 
the  carriage  and  I  was  driven  up  to  the  old  castle. 
The  landau  took  me  to  a  side  entrance  and  I  was 
promptly  shown  into  an  austere  and  unpretentious 
chamber.  Scarcely  had  I  entered  when  a  quiet,  eld- 
erly, benevolent-looking  gentleman  dressed  in  a  shoot- 
ing jacket  appeared  in  another  doorway,  evidently 
much  perturbed.  I  at  once  recognized  him  as  the  old 
Grand  Duke  of  Mecklenburg-Schwerein.  He  ap- 
praised me  for  fully  a  minute ;  then  as  if  to  himself  he 

*  -. 

said: 

"You're  only  a  boy,  but  I  suppose  they  know," 
shaking  his  great  gray  head.  "  Strange  times. 
Strange  times."  Then  suddenly  realizing  his  inhos- 

78 


THE  GRAND  DUKE'S  LETTER 


pitality,  he  urged  me  to  be  seated.  "  Take  a  seat,  take 
a  seat." 

Unlike  the  gentlemen  of  the  Wilhelmstrasse,  he 
did  not  plunge  immediately  into  the  subject  at  hand. 
He  began  a  chat  with  me  about  purely  personal  af- 
fairs. Finally  the  conversation  drifting  around  to 
the  cause  of  my  visit,  he  said : 

"  Can  you  fulfill  this  mission  ?  " 

I  told  him  I  could  not  say  until  I  had  learned  what 
it  was.  I  requested  that  he  give  me  the  privilege 
of  refusal  should  I  find  myself  unable  to  negotiate  it 
successfully.  He  agreed  that  it  was  fair  and  when  he 
looked  at  me  again  he  seemed  to  suggest  that  he  did 
not  believe  me  so  young  after  all. 

"  There's  rather  an  unhappy  and  most  inconvenient 
entanglement  in  my  household,"  he  began.  "  My 
nephew,  the  young  Grand  Duke,  is  tangled  up  and 
ensnarled  with  a  certain  lady  in  England  whom  he 
wishes  to  marry.  It  is  unfortunate  that  she  is  of  too 
high  a  social  status  to  be  entirely  ignored  or  roughly 
bought  off.  Still,  she  is  not  eligible  for  admission 
into  our  house.  For  more  than  political  reasons,  it  is 
impossible  that  she  enter  into  an  alliance  with  us." 
His  eyes  flashed.  "  This  lady  has  lately  threatened  to 
make  trouble  through  my  persistent  refusal  to  counte- 
nance her  desired  relationship."  He  frowned.  "  She 
has  in  her  possession  compromising  letters  and  docu- 
ments which  my  nephew  was  foolish  enough  to  give 
her.  These  must  be  returned  to  my  hands.  Mone- 
tary questions  need  not  be  considered  for  a  moment. 

79 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

Pressure  and  influence  have  been  tried  on  both  my 
nephew  and  the  lady.  But  of  no  avail.  The  means  I 
leave  to  you.  But  force  and  publicity  must  at  all 
cost  be  avoided.  I  can  give  you  very  little  help  as  to 
procedure  and  information.  What  do  you  think  of 
the  chances?  " 

It  has  ever  been  my  way  to  be  conservative  in  mak- 
ing promises  and  I  said: 

"  I  hope  your  Highness  will  pardon  me,  but  I  find 
it  often  undesirable  to  voice  my  thoughts  until  I  have 
reached  a  certain  stage  of  my  investigations." 

This  appeared  to  impress  him  and  he  rose  saying : 

"  I  am  entirely  in  your  hands.  Communicate  di- 
rect with  my  chamberlain,  or  if  necessary  to  use  cable, 
I  shall  arrange  with  your  chief  in  Berlin  for  forward- 
ing facilities.  Be  good  enough  to  wait  and  I  shall 
send  you  my  secretary."  Slapping  me  on  the  shoul- 
der, "  You'll  not  regret  it,  helping  us  out  of  this 
quandary." 

Neither  did  I.  The  Grand  Duke  stalked  out,  A 
flunky  appeared  and  conducted  me  to  a  private  little 
dining-room  where  cold  game  and  wine  were  served 
and  at  the  end  of  which  the  secretary  came  in  and 
handed  me  an  envelope  with  the  Grand  Duke's  compli- 
ments and  a  request  to  start  at  once  on  my  mission. 
Assuring  him  I  would  be  on  the  road  that  same  night, 
I  returned  to  Berlin.  I  got  Stammer  of  the  Wilhelm- 
strasse  on  the  telephone  and  requested  a  preliminary 
two  months'  leave  of  absence.  I  then  caught  the 
Hook  of  Holland  Express  en  route  for  London. 

80 


THE  GRAND  DUKE'S  LETTER 


Upon  opening  the  Grand  Duke's  letter  I  had  found 
it  contained  three  bank  notes  of  1000  marks  each  and 
a  draft  for  500  pounds  on  the  English,  Scottish  and 
Colonial  Bank,  with  a  note  saying  that  any  future  re- 
quest would  be  honored  at  three  days'  notice  to  the 
same  bank.  Thus  I  would  have  all  the  money  I 
wanted  in  London. 

On  the  wray  over,  I  followed  my  usual  custom  and 
considered  the  situation  in  detail.  The  lady  in  ques- 
tion was  in  society  and  the  first  thing  to  do  was  to  try 
to  get  in  touch  with  the  little  circle  or  clique  in  which 
she  moved.  This  might  have  been  difficult  in  any 
other  city  but  London.  But  a  man  of  appearance, 
culture  and  money,  setting  his  stage  right,  can  with 
tact  and  persistence  force  an  entry  into  any  clique  of 
London  society. 

The  only  thing  I  had  to  worry  about  was  a  setting 
of  my  stage.  I  was  undecided  about  it.  One  often 
has  to  leave  things  to  circumstances,  being  guided  by 
any  momentary  points  that  may  arise.  My  first  task 
was  to  create  an  impression,  something  that  would  get 
people  talking  about  me.  I  did  not  want  to  show  any 
sensational  parvenuism ;  London  is  not  impressed  by 
that. 

Rather,  I  must  become  known  for  some  eccen- 
tricity that  would  arouse  legitimate  curiosity.  Your 
Britisher,  the  women  included,  are  always  interested 
in  a  man  of  travel,  a  hunter,  a  desultory  globe-trotter ; 
and  nothing  attracts  the  English  mind  so  quickly  as  a 
well-bred  eccentricity  in  manner  or  habit.  The  broad 

81 


lines  of  my  plan  determined  upon,  I  left  the  precise 
setting  of  the  stage  until  the  last  minute. 

I  quartered  myself  at  first  at  the  Russel  Square 
Hotel,  in  a  few  days  transferring  to  the  patrician 
Langham.  I  began  by  making  tentative  inquiries.  I 
purchased  all  society  papers  which  I  read  from  cover 
to  cover,  and  then  carefully  feeling  my  way  put  fur- 
ther questions  that  would  locate  the  set  in  which  my 
lady  was  a  central  figure.  From  acquaintances  I 
made  around  the  hotel,  from  the  society  re- 
porters of  newspapers,  I  began  to  get  little  scraps 
of  information.  Fortunately  it  was  the  season 
in  London  and  everybody  was  coming  into  town.  I 
soon  knew  who  the  Lady's  intimates  were  and  their 
favorite  rendezvous.  The  next  step  was  to  become 
familiar  with  the  personality  of  the  lady  and  to  gain 
some  idea  as  to  her  habits,  her  likes  and  dislikes.  I 
heard  that  the  lady  was  in  the  habit  of  going  horse- 
back riding  in  Hyde  Park.  Every  day  I  made  it  my 
business  to  take  a  two-hour  canter  along  the  bridle 
path.  My  patience  was  rewarded  on  the  fifth  morn- 
ing, for  I  saw  her  galloping  by  with  a  party  of  friends. 

The  next  morning  I  was  on  the  bridle  path  at  the 
same  hour.  Finally  she  came  galloping  along  with 
the  same  group,  and  after  they  had  almost  gone  from 
sight,  I  galloped  after  them.  I  found  out  where  they 
kept  their  horses  and  after  they  had  dismounted  I 
sauntered  up  to  the  stable  and  made  inquiries.  I 
learned  that  they  always  went  out  at  the  same  time  of 
day.  Thereafter  I  made  it  my  business  to  pass  the 

82 


THE  GRAND  DUKE'S  LETTER 


lady  on  the  bridle  path  day  after  day.  I  pride  myself 
on  few  things,  but  my  horsemanship  is  one  of  them. 
Many  a  hard  tussle  and  bleeding  nose  I  got  riding 
Brumbies  across  the  wild  tracks  of  Australia.  I  also 
learned  a  trick  or  two  among  niy  Tuareg  friends  which 
I  exhibited  for  the  lady's  benefit  on  various  occasions. 
I  did  not  hope  to  gain  an  introduction,  but  only  to  at- 
tract attention  and  familiarize  her  party  with  my  ap- 
pearance, applying  one  of  the  test  points  of  human 
psychology.  I  employed  the  theory  of  the  subcon- 
scious attraction  of  an  often-seen,  though  unknown 
face. 

I  soon  ascertained  that  my  lady  and  her  friends 
followed  all  the  whims  of  London  society.  One  in 
particular  interested  me.  They  were  in  the  habit  of 
frequenting  Carlton  Terrace  between  three  and  four 
every  afternoon  and  eating  strawberries.  I  also  went 
to  eat  strawberries. 

Carlton  Terrace  during  the  strawberry  season  is  an 
exquisitely  colored  fashion  plate  of  life's  butterflies 
and  drones.  This  throng  of  fashion  and  beauty, 
marked  with  its  air  of  distinction  carelessly  aban- 
doned to  pleasure,  ever  murmuring  pleasant  nothings 
and  tossing  light  persiflage  from  table  to  table,  is 
truly  an  interesting  study  of  the  lighter  sides  of  life. 
One  sits  on  a  magnificent  markee-covered,  glass-en- 
closed terrace,  overlooking  the  Thames  with  its  ever- 
changing  scenes  of  fussy  tugs  and  squat  barges. 

At  Carlton  Terrace  one  pays  well  for  the  subtleties 
of  eating.  By  courteous  consideration  of  the  wait- 

83 


resses  I  managed  to  secure  a  much-coveted  outside 
corner  table,  near  to  the  one  reserved  for  the  lady  and 
her  party.  I  always  made  it  a  point  to  withhold  my 
entrance  until  the  lady  was  in  the  terrace;  then  I 
would  stroll  in  alone,  take  a  seat  alone,  and  show  a 
desire  to  be  alone.  They  have  a  very  clever  way  of 
serving  strawberries  at  the  Carlton.  A  vine,  grow- 
ing from  ten  to  twelve  large  luscious  berries  is 
brought  on  in  a  silver  pot.  It  is  the  acme  of  luxury. 
You  pick  the  fresh  berries  from  the  vine  on  your  table, 
the  Terrace  supplies  quantities  of  cream,  and  you  pay 
half  a  sovereign  —  $2.50  —  for  a  dish  of  strawberries. 
One  dish  is  enough  for  the  average  customer.  Every 
afternoon  I  ordered  five ! 

Day  after  day  I  consumed  in  strawberries  two  sov- 
ereigns and  a  half  —  $12.50  —  of  the  Grand  Duke  of 
Mecklenburg-Schwerein's  money.  Always  tipping  the 
girl  a  half  sovereign  which  made  my  daily  strawberry 
bill  come  up  to  three  sovereigns  ( $15 ) .  For  about  ten 
days  I  did  this,  always  at  the  same  time,  always  being 
careful  to  make  my  entrance  after  the  lady's  party 
was  seated,  always  ordering  the  same  number  of  por- 
tions, always  giving  the  girl  the  same  tip.  It  wasn't 
long  before  I  began  to  be  observed.  I  soon  saw  that 
not  only  the  attendants  but  the  patrons  of  the  Terrace 
were  becoming  interested  in  my  foible.  One  day  as 
I  passed  I  heard  someone  say : 

"  Here  comes  the  strawberry  fiend." 

I  was  satisfied.  I  knew  it  would  be  easy  now  to 
effect  an  entrance  to  the  lady's  set.  I  had  been 

84 


THE  GRAND  DUKE'S  LETTER 


marked  as  something  out  of  the  usual  in  the  restau- 
rant which  from  three  to  four  in  the  afternoon  at  that 
time  of  the  year  is  the  most  fashionable  in  London. 
Now,  a  woman  like  my  lady  does  not  flirt.  If  you 
glance  at  her  under  favorable  conditions,  such  as  my 
strawberry  "  stunt "  had  created  for  me,  she  will  re- 
turn the  glance.  You  both  half  smile  and  do  not 
look  at  each  other  again  that  afternoon.  That  is  not 
flirting.  Splitting  hairs,  we  shall  call  it  psychic  in- 
terest. 

I  continued  my  strawberry  festival  and  one  day  a 
manager  of  Carlton  Terrace  told  me  that  people  were 
making  inquiries  about  me.  Several  men  had  wanted 
to  know  who  I  was.  Under  questioning,  he  told  me 
that  one  of  the  men  was  a  member  of  the  lady's  set. 
It  was  easy  to  put  together  two  and  two.  Obviously 
the  inquiry  had  been  inspired  by  her. 

Meanwhile  I  had  sent  several  communications  to 
the  Grand  Duke,  insisting  that  pressure  be  brought  to 
bear  upon  his  nephew  and  to  keep  him  away  from 
London;  not  even  permitting  him  under  penalty  of 
stopping  his  allowance,  to  write  the  lady  in  the  case 
until  the  Grand  Duke  gave  his  permission.  By  now, 
London  had  gradually  filled  and  the  season  was  at  its 
height.  I  went  the  rounds  of  the  theaters  from  Drury 
Lane  to  the  Empire,  and  I  visited  the  clubs.  I  found 
here  men  whom  I  had  met  previously  and  presently 
I  rounded  up  two  or  three  fellows  with  whom  I  had 
been  fairly  intimate  at  one  time  or  another  on  hunt- 
ing expeditions  and  at  continental  watering-places. 

85 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

I  made  them  introduce  me  to  different  sets.  Dexter- 
ous maneuvering  obtained  me  invitations  to  afternoon 
teas  and  at-homes  in  the  same  circle  frequented  by  my 
lady. 

I  was  introduced  to  her  at  an  afternoon  reception. 
She  was  a  typical  outdoor  Englishwoman.  Not  par- 
ticularly handsome,  but  possessing  to  the  full  the 
clearness  of  skin  and  eyes  and  strong  virile  health, 
that  is  the  hereditary  lien  of  Albion's  daughters. 
Tall,  willowy  and  strong,  of  free  and  independent  man- 
ners and  habits,  she  was  the  direct  antithesis  of  the 
usual  German  woman.  I  reasoned  that  this  was  prob- 
ably the  reason  of  the  young  Duke's  infatuation. 

"  How  do  you  do,  you  wild  Colonial  boy.  Still  as 
fond  of  strawberries  as  ever?  " 

We  both  burst  out  laughing. 

"  So  your  ladyship  observed  and  classified  my  little 
maneuvers." 

"  Of  course,"  with  a  toss  of  her  head. 

Unforced  and  pleasant  chatting  followed.  I  could 
more  and  more  understand  the  Grand  Duke's  infatua- 
tion ;  in  fact,  considered  him  quite  a  "  deuced,  lucky 
beggar." 

From  that  day  on  I  made  it  a  point  to  be  present 
whenever  she  attended  public  places,  such  as  the  thea- 
ter, concerts  or  restaurants.  Gradually  and  imper- 
ceptibly, by  little  services  here  and  there,  I  won  her 
confidence.  There  was  an  after-theater  supper,  in  the 
Indian  room  of  the  Windsor,  and  I  was  invited.  By 
this  time  people  had  come  to  know  something  about 

86 


THE  GRAND  DUKE'S  LETTER 


me.  I  was  a  globe-trotter,  a  man  of  leisure,  inter- 
ested as  a  hobby  in  research  work  in  medicine.  I  dis- 
covered that  her  affair  with  the  young  Grand  Duke 
was  a  fairly  open  secret  in  her  set ;  also,  that  she  was 
expecting  him  in  London  almost  daily.  Gradually  I 
hinted  that  I  knew  the  young  Grand  Duke.  As  I 
gained  her  confidence  further,  I  invented  amorous  af- 
fairs for  him  and  hinted  to  her  about  them.  In  this 
way  I  finally  managed  to  induce  her  to  talk.  Subtly 
I  instilled  a  vague  resentment  against  him,  which  was 
accentuated  by  his  non-appearance  in  London  society 
up  to  now.  His  Highness  having  been  kept  away  by 
his  Serene  Uncle,  the  serene  one  having  been  cautioned 
to  do  so  by  me. 

Two  months  passed  before  I  was  invited  to  the 
lady's  home  in  Mayfair  and  by  that  time,  partly  be- 
cause I  pretended  to  know  the  young  Grand  Duke,  I 
was  on  a  more  intimate  footing.  I  had  learned  that 
she  had  met  him  at  a  hunting  party  at  the  Earl  of 
Crewes'  shooting  box  in  Shropshire.  Later,  she  inti- 
mated that  this  was  but  their  official  meeting  and  that 
their  acquaintance  actually  dated  from  a  mountain 
trip  she  had  taken  to  Switzerland,  the  universal  play- 
ground of  royalty  traveling  incog.  I  learned  too  that 
her  heavy  bridge  gambling  had  cost  her  a  lot  of  money. 

The  information  that  the  lady  was  in  debt  did  not 
come  easily.  To  obtain  it,  I  had  to  work  on  her  maid. 
Whenever  the  occasion  arose,  I  made  it  my  business  to 
tip  the  maid  liberally.  I  contrived  to  do  a  number  of 
little  things  for  her.  Knowing  the  lady  to  be  out,  I 

87 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

called  at  the  house  one  day  and  while  pretending  to  be 
waiting  for  my  hostess,  I  put  some  leading  questions 
to  the  maid.  I  learned  that  her  mistress  was  pressed 
for  money.  That  was  an  opening  worth  working  on. 

Thereafter  I  contrived  to  be  present  whenever  there 
was  a  bridge  party  at  the  lady's.  They  are  pretty 
high  gamblers,  those  English  society  women,  and  I 
came  to  see  that  the  lady  was  generally  a  heavy  loser. 
It  was  my  good  fortune  for  her  to  lose  to  me  one  night. 
Now,  it  is  the  custom  at  these  gatherings  not  to  hand 
over  cash;  instead,  the  unlucky  one  pays  with  what 
corresponds  to  an  "  on  demand  note."  I  took  her  note 
that  night  and  with  others  —  the  whereabouts  of 
which  I  learned  from  the  maid  and  which  I  indirectly 
purchased  from  the  holders  —  I  took  all  these  to  a  no- 
torious money-lender  and  made  a  deal  with  him.  He 
was  to  take  the  notes  and  press  the  lady  for  payment, 
of  course  keeping  my  name  out  of  it.  It  is  obvious 
that,  trying  as  I  was  to  win  her  confidence,  I  could  not 
go  myself  and  hold  these  obligations  over  her  head. 
That  same  day  the  money-lender  paid  the  lady  a  call. 
He  paid  her  a  good  many  other  calls,  harassing  her, 
threatening  legal  action  and  driving  her  until  she  was 
almost  to  a  state  of  nervous  collapse.  Well-placed 
sympathies  soon  made  her  talk  and  she  burst  out  pet- 
tishly that  she  was  in  debt  and  that  most  of  her  ac- 
quaintances were  in  debt  —  nothing  unusual  in  that 
set. 

This  was  an  opportune  chance  to  be  of  material 
benefit  to  the  lady.  Seriously  we  talked  over  her  af- 

88 


THE  GRAND  DUKE'S  LETTER 


fairs.  I  found  them  pretty  well  entangled.  We  dis- 
cussed the  young  Grand  Duke.  I  gradually  per- 
suaded her  that  there  was  no  hope  of  a  legitimate  mar- 
riage with  the  house  of  Mecklenburg-Schwerein,  but 
because  of  her  association  with  the  young  Grand  Duke 
and  the  fact  that  she  had  been  betrothed  to  him,  it  was 
only  right  that  the  Duchy  provide  her  with  some 
means  of  assistance.  The  ice  was  perilously  thin, 
for  the  lady  is  a  high-spirited  woman  of  ideals  and  I 
had  to  be  careful  to  word  my  language  so  that  it  would 
not  appear  as  though  she  were  blackmailing.  In  jus- 
tice to  her,  I  believe  that  if  she  had  taken  that  view  of 
it  she  would  have  dropped  the  entire  matter,  and 
retired  from  society  for  the  season  rather  than  go 
through  with  my  plan.  Finally  I  said : 

"  Have  you  any  means  by  which  you  could  compel 
the  ducal  house  to  make  adequate  acknowledgments 
and  redresses  to  you?  " 

After  a  long  hesitation,  she  jumped  up,  swept  from 
the  room  and  returned  presently  with  a  handful  of 
letters.  I  saw  on  some  of  them  the  Grand  Duke's  coat 
of  arms.  The  young  fool  had  been  careless  enough 
for  that!  She  shook  the  letters  in  a  temper  and 
cried : 

"  I  wonder  what  Franz's  uncle  would  say  to  these? 
Why,  I  could  compel  him  to  marry  me." 

Here  was  the  chance.  The  iron  —  in  this  case  my 
lady's  temper  —  was  hot.  I  suggested  that  we  sit 
down  and  talk  it  over.  As  an  introductory  attack,  to 
create  the  impression  that  I  knew  what  I  was  talking 

89 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

about,  I  hinted  that  I  was  connected  with  a  leading 
family  in  Germany  and  that  I  was  in  London  incog. 
I  approached  the  situation  from  the  viewpoint  that  I 
was  her  friend,  not  a  friend  of  the  house  of  Mecklen- 
burg-Schwerein,  but  that,  by  knowing  them  and  their 
ways,  I  could  be  of  great  assistance  to  her. 

"  It  is  regrettable,"  I  consoled ;  "  but  you  have  no 
chance  for  a  legitimate,  even  a  morganatic  alliance 
with  the  young  Grand  Duke.  I  consider  their  entire 
attitude  toward  you  utterly  unfair.  In  view  of  your 
understanding  with  him,  you  are  most  certainly  en- 
titled to  adequate  recompense  from  his  house.  If  you 
went  into  court  you  could  obtain  this  on  grounds  of 
breach  of  promise,  but  I  can  understand  your  feelings. 
Such  a  step  would  only  cast  odium  upon  an  old  and 
noble  family  such  as  yours." 

That  seemed  to  her  liking. 

"  But  what  can  I  do?  "  she  said. 

"  In  view  of  my  friendship  for  you,"  I  told  her,  "  I 
would  consider  it  an  honor  if  you  would  permit  me  to 
act  on  your  behalf.  I  think  I  can  negotiate  with  the 
young  Grand  Duke's  uncle  and  I  promise  that  he  will 
regard  the  matter  in  a  fair  light.  I  appreciate  the  ex- 
treme delicacy  of  the  situation  and  you  must  observe 
the  necessity  of  a  man  handling  this  affair." 

She  shook  her  head  and  tapped  the  letters  nerv- 
ously. 

"  No.  It  is  intolerable,"  she  said.  "  Not  to  be 
thought  of." 

I  saw  that  I  had  to  make  it  stronger.  I  thereupon 

90 


THE  GRAND  DUKE'S  LETTEE 


invented  the  most  ingenious  lies  it  has  ever  been  given 
me  to  tell.  In  about  five  minutes  I  had  painted  the 
young  Grand  Duke  in  such  colors  that  the  adventures 
of  Don  Juan  were  saintly  compared  to  the  escapades 
of  his  ducal  highness. 

"  Why,  consider  it  yourself,"  I  said.  "  He  was  to 
be  over  here  with  you  during  the  season.  He  has  not 
come.  You  told  me  yourself  that  he  has  not  even  an- 
swered your  letters.  Well,  that's  all  there  is  to  it. 
Your  ladyship,  he  and  his  house  deserve  any  punish- 
ment that  you  can  visit  upon  them." 

The  idea  of  punishment  appealed  where  the  other 
had  failed.  The  outraged  pride  of  woman,  especially 
an  Englishwoman,  is  a  terrible  thing.  Soon  after 
that  I  made  haste  to  take  my  leave.  At  my  quarters  I 
wrote  two  letters  to  myself  and  signed  the  Grand 
Duke's  name  to  them.  In  these  I  offered  to  pay  her 
ladyship's  debts.  They  were  addressed  to  me  and 
after  allowing  a  reasonable  time  to  elapse,  I  again 
went  out  to  Mayfair  and  read  them  to  her.  She  was 
now  cold  and  hard  and  gave  me  full  permission  to  go 
ahead  and  make  any  arrangements  I  deemed  advis- 
able. I  thereupon  went  to  the  Grand  Duke's  bank  in 
London  and  notified  them  that  I  must  have  15,000 
pounds  ($75,000).  In  four  days  I  had  the  money. 
The  rest  of  the  transaction  was  commonplace.  She 
handed  over  all  the  letters  and  documents  and  I  gave 
her  the  15,000  pounds.  I  knaw  to-day  that  her  lady- 
ship travels  extensively  in  a  very  comfortable  manner 
on  the  yearly  appanage  allowed  her  by  the  old  Grand 

91 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

Duke.  I  do  not  know  whether  she  still  goes  to  Carl  ton 
Terrace  to  eat  strawberries,  but  I  flatter  myself  that 
her  present  good  fortune  is  partially  due  to  the  fact 
that  she  once  went  there. 

At  the  time  of  closing  our  little  transaction,  she 
took  the  precaution  to  protect  adequately  and  seal  all 
letters  and  documents  from  my  perusal.  Of  course, 
that  was  a  disappointment.  I  put  the  packet  away 
carefully,  closed  up  my  affairs  in  London  and  went 
back  to  Germany,  going  direct  to  Mecklenburg- 
Schwerein  where  I  delivered  the  package  to  the  old 
Grand  Duke  in  person.  He  seized  it  eagerly  and 
opened  it  in  my  presence.  I  noticed  as  he  ran  through 
the  letters  that  he  did  not  stop  even  to  glance  at  them. 
He  did,  however,  stop  and  pick  out  from  the  pile  an  of- 
ficial looking  document,  at  the  sight  of  which  a  tremen- 
dous sigh  of  relief  seemed  to  escape  him.  The  docu- 
ment had  a  decidedly  close  resemblance  to  a  mar- 
riage license  as  issued  in  Switzerland.  Of  course  I 
only  got  a  fleeting,  cursory  glance  at  it,  but  the  eager- 
ness of  the  Grand  Duke  in  pouncing  upon  that  one 
document  and  ignoring  the  letters,  and  hints  previ- 
ously dropped  by  her  ladyship,  embellished  by  ru- 
mors I  later  heard  in  Switzerland,  all  leave  very 
little  doubt  in  my  mind  that  a  clandestine  marriage 
did  actually  take  place  between  this  lady  of  the  Eng- 
lish nobility  and  the  young  Grand  Duke  of  Mecklen- 
burg-Schwerein. 

His  Royal  Highness  must  have  been  satisfied,  for 
besides  a  fee  of  5000  marks,  I  received  a  few  days  later 

92 


THE  GRAND  DUKE'S  LETTER 


through  Wedel  a  diamond  pin  and  a  magnificent  gold 
watch  and  chain  inscribed  with  the  Grand  Ducal  arms 
of  Mecklenburg-Schwerein  inscribed : 
"  For  services  performed  faithfully  to  my  house." 


93 


VI 
THE  INTRIGUE  AT  MONTE  CARLO 

BACK  in  Berlin  from  a  mission  to  Vienna,  my  dis- 
patches delivered,  once  more  comfortably  en- 
scpnced  in  my  quarters,  on  the  Mittelstrasse,  I  was 
looking  forward  to  an  evening  at  the  Pavilion  Mas- 
cotte.  I  was  just  getting  into  my  dinner  coat  when 
my  man  bowed  an  orderly  through  the  door  and  at 
once  all  my  plans  took  swift  flight  out  the  window. 
The  orderly  brought  a  command  for  my  immediate  at- 
tendance at  the  Wilhelmstrasse.  Now  the  gentlemen 
of  the  Wilhelmstrasse  are  never  kept  waiting  and  do 
not  accept  excuses.  Within  twenty  minutes  I  was 
shown  into  the  chambers  of  Count  von  Wedel;  in 
thirty  minutes  I  was  out  again,  having  complete  or- 
ders. They  know  what  they  want  at  the  Wilhelm- 
strasse and  they  generally  get  it. 

As  I  hurried  back  to  my  rooms  I  went  over  what 
von  Wedel  had  said: 

"  You  are  to  be  ready  to  take  the  midnight  express 
to  Monte  Carlo.  You  will  there  keep  watch  on  and 
report  any  possible  meeting  between  the  Russian, 
French  and  English  ministers,  at  present  traveling 
about  the  Riviera.  You  will  have  the  assistance,  if 

94 


THE  INTRIGUE  AT  MONTE  CARLO 

necessary,  of  the  Countess  Chechany.  If  you  need 
her,  send  her  this  card"  (he  had  given  me  the  card 
with  his  signature  across  it,  a  reproduction  of  which  is 
presented  on  this  page).  "If  meetings  or  confer- 
ences take  place,  you  must  obtain  the  tenor  thereof. 


IHtrhltclicr  O&chctmratl] 

For  secret  service  purposes  Count  Wedell  signs  himself  Udo,   and 
Wedell,  in  case  an  agent  is  captured  with  a  card  on  him. 

Here  is  an  order  for  your  primary  expenses."     He  had 
flicked  an  order  for  3000  marks,  about  $750,  across  his 
desk.     "  Anything  you  wish  elucidated?  " 
Not  having  met  the  Countess,  I  had  requested  her 


The  back  of  WedelPs  card. 

description.  Pushing  a  button,  Count  von  Wedel  had 
given  the  answering  secretary  an  order;  within  three 
minutes  I  was  shown  the  photograph  of  the  lady  and 
her  signature,  of  which  I  took  a  copy.  Having  no 
further  requests  I  had  bowed  myself  out. 

95 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

My  first  act  was  to  cash  the  order ;  second  to  decide 
and  prepare  the  character  I  wished  to  assume  in 
Monte  Carlo.  I  decided  on  a  South  African  mine 
owner.  I  know  considerable  about  mining,  and  be- 
ing well  acquainted  with  South  Africa,  the  Hand  and 
Transvaal,  I  had  the  advantage  of  knowing  my  local- 
ity first.  A  Secret  Service  agent  is  always  careful  to 
choose  a  character  with  which  he  is  fully  familiar. 
One  is  certain  to  meet,  sooner  or  later,  men  in 
the  same  walk  of  life;  and  unless  one  be  well 
primed,  one  is  bound  to  be  "  bowled  out."  I  knew 
there  would  be  South  African  mining  men  at  Monte 
Carlo. 

Procuring  necessary  papers,  such  as  mining  jour- 
nals, quotations,  a  couple  of  South  African  news- 
papers and  photographs,  I  went  home  and  had  my  man 
carefully  select  and  pack  my  wardrobe.  I  caught  the 
midnight  Lloyd  Express.  Selecting  a  pleasant  middle 
compartment,  and  getting  my  seat  registered,  I  made 
myself  comfortable  and  began  to  map  out  a  campaign. 
This  was  rather  a  tough  problem.  To  be  in  the  slight- 
est degree  successful,  I  had  to  get  near,  and  if  possible 
in  touch  with  the  ministers  that  Count  von  Wedel 
had  designated.  How  is  this  to  be  done?  I  knew  it 
was  far  from  easy,  almost  impossible,  to  make  their 
casual  acquaintance. 

I  began  to  cast  the  personality  of  the  three  men  over 
in  my  mind.  There  was  Prince  Kassimir  Galitzin,  at 
that  time  high  in  the  favor  of  the  Czar.  There  were 
Delcasse  of  France  and  Sir  Edward  Grey  of  England. 

96 


THE  INTRIGUE  AT  MONTE  CARLO 

All  three  were  gyrating  about  the  Riviera  and  the 
Savoy  —  ostensibly  it  was  for  their  health,  possibly 
for  other  reasons.  In  any  case  the  health  of  these 
gentlemen  seemed  a  matter  of  some  concern  to  the 
German  emperor.  Health  trips  of  more  than  one 
statesman  in  or  about  the  same  locality  are  looked 
upon  with  much  suspicion  and  promptly  investigated ; 
more  so  when  there  is  any  extra  political  tension.  At 
that  time  —  it  was  in  1910  —  the  air  was  tense,  Ger- 
many was  in  the  dark,  unable  to  distinguish  friend  or 
foe. 

Sir  Edward  Grey's  habits  were  unknown  to  me. 
With  Delcasse's  I  was  somewhat  familiar.  Prince 
Galitzin  —  ah,  yes!  I  knew  him  pretty  well,  bon 
vivant,  extremely  fond  of  a  pretty  face.  Um!  I  be- 
gan to  see  light.  Here  is  where  the  Countess  might 
come  in.  By  her  photograph,  an  extremely  beautiful 
woman ;  but  photographs  often  flatter  and  do  not  give 
an  indication  as  to  personality.  Festina  lente.  I 
would  see. 

Five  forty-five  the  next  afternoon  and  I  was  in- 
stalled at  the  Hotel  Metropole  in  Monte  Carlo.  After 
a  refreshing  bath,  I  had  supper  served  in  my  room, 
and  sent  for  the  hotel  courier  —  this  an  old  globe- 
trotter trick.  Hotel  couriers  or  dragomen  are  walk- 
ing encylopaedias.  They  are  good  linguists,  observ- 
ant and  shrewd.  They  are  masters  of  the  art  of  find- 
ing out  things  they  should  not  know,  and  past  grand 
masters  in  keeping  their  mouths  shut  unless  you  know 
how  to  open  them.  Not  with  palm  oil.  Oh,  no,  noth- 

97 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

ing  so  crude!     You  would  never  get  any  truths  or 
anything  worth  while,  with  bribery. 

I  had  to  find  out  local  intrigues  and  gossips,  who 
was  in  Monte  Carlo  and  what  was  doing,  who  were  the 
leading  demi-mondaines  and  gamblers?  Were  there 
any  possible  Secret  Service  men?  Hence  the  courier, 
a  Swiss  from  Ober  Arau,  a  district  of  Switzerland,  I 
luckily  knew  well.  When  he  knocked  at  the  door,  I 
cheerily  bade  him  come  in.  I  made  my  manner  as 
good  natured  as  possible.  I  offered  him  a  real 
Medijeh  cigarette.  As  befitting  his  station,  he  was 
slipping  the  cigarette  in  his  pocket. 

"  Oh,  no !  "  I  said.  "  Light  it,  won't  you?  Have  a 
little  smoke  with  me  here.  I'm  a  bit  lonesome.  I 
want  to  get  my  bearings.  Won't  you  join  me  in  a 
glass  of  wine?" 

That  was  my  first  oar  in.  After  some  commonplace 
conversation,  as  to  how  the  season  was,  I  asked : 

"Anybody  of  interest  here?" 

I  winked  knowingly.  Possibly  it  pleased  the 
courier  to  have  someone  to  chuckle  over  a  secret.  All 
my  oars  were  in. 

"  At  the  Grand  Hotel  de  Londres,"  he  said  slyly, 
"  there  is  a  gentleman  who  does  not  fool  me." 

I  offered  him  another  cigarette,  helped  him  to  an- 
other glass  of  wine. 

"  He  is  registered  there  as  Count  Techlow,  but  he 
can't  fool  me.  He  is  the  Prince  Galitzin." 

"What's  he  doing;  gambling  a  lot?"  (I  knew  he 
wasn't.) 

98 


THE  INTRIGUE  AT  MONTE  CARLO 

"No,"  replied  the  courier,  "he's  keeping  pretty 
quiet." 

"  Is  there  a  Countess  Techlow?  " 

The  courier  shook  his  head.  Buenno!  The  coast 
seemed  clear.  I  knew  it  was  extremely  awkward  and 
often  dangerous  to  tempt  the  quarry  away  from  a 
demi-mondaine,  especially  at  Monte  Carlo.  After 
chatting  some  more  I  bid  the  courier  good  night.  I 
would  see  the  Countess  the  first  thing  in  the  morn- 
ing. 

Along  toward  noon  I  called  at  the  Nouvel  Hotel 
Louvre  where  von  Wedel  had  told  me  I  would  find 
Countess  Chechany.  I  sent  in  my  own  card  bearing 
the  name  of  H.  Van  Huit,  Doom  Kloof,  Transvaal 
(the  reader  will  recall  my  experience  at  Doom 
Kloof) ;  also  von  Wedel's  card  with  his  signature. 

I  had  to  wait  for  some  time,  but  finally  the  Countess 
received  me  in  her  boudoir.  She  was  in  bewitching 
negligee.  From  the  photograph  I  was  prepared  to 
find  a  very  handsome  woman,  but  shades  of  Helen! 
This  was  Venus,  Juno  and  Minerva  —  the  whole 
Greek  and  any  other  goddesses  rolled  into  one !  Tall 
and  willowy,  superb  of  figure,  great  dark -blue  eyes, 
masses  of  blue-black  wavy  hair,  full  red  lips  forming 
a  perfect  Cupid's  bow.  But  why  go  on  —  I  might  get 
too  enthusiastic,  and  mislead  the  reader.  After  my 
adventure  I  never  saw  the  Countess  again. 

I  knew  that  by  birth  the  Countess  Chechany  was  a 
high  Hungarian  noblewoman.  By  marriage  she  was 
related  to  the  Counts  of  Tolna  Festetics,  a  leading 

99 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAB  OFFICE 

house  in  Hungary.  Also,  she  was  one  of  those  marvel- 
ously  beautiful  women  peculiar  to  that  country.  Wav- 
ing a  small  jeweled  hand,  she  begged  me  to  take  a 
chair  beside  her.  A  cigarette  was  daintily  poised  in 
her  fingers. 

"  Be  seated,  Mr.  Van  Huit  of  Transvaal,"  gazing  at 
me  with  a  roguish  grin. 

We  both  burst  out  laughing.  Of  course  she  knew 
what  I  was.  Von  Wedel's  card  showed  her  that. 
But,  as  her  next  words  plainly  showed,  she  knew  a 
great  deal  more. 

"  I've  got  a  badly  sprained  ankle,  Doctor.  Can  you 
do  anything  for  me?  " 

I  must  have  shown  a  pretty  stupid  face,  for  she 
laughed  amusedly  again.  I  certainly  was  surprised, 
for  up  to  now  I  had  never  met  her,  and  my  being  a 
doctor  was  known  only  to  one  or  two  persons  in  the 
Service.  Besides,  it  is  strictly  a  rule  of  the  Imperial 
Secret  Service  never  to  discuss  or  divulge  personal 
matters.  Her  attitude  by  no  means  pleased  me.  I 
cordially  hate  anyone,  especially  women,  knowing 
more  than  I  do.  One  never  knows  where  one  is  stand- 
ing in  a  case  like  this.  I  decided  not  to  show  my 
curiosity,  but  I  was  determined  to  learn  how  she  knew 
about  me.  Coolly  I  said : 

"  Well,  Countess,  you  have  somewhat  of  an  advan- 
tage. But  if  I  can  be  of  any  assistance  to  you,  pray 
command  me." 

As  answer,  she  sprang  up,  and  pirouetting  around 
the  room,  exclaimed : 

100 


THE  INTRIGUE  AT  MONTE  CARLO 

"  Now,  why  be  peevish.  If  you're  good  and  nice,  I 
shall  tell  you  sometime  all  about  it." 

She  never  did,  for  with  all  her  ingenuous  manner- 
isms, my  lady  was  about  the  deepest  and  least  fathom- 
able bit  of  femininity  I  have  ever  met  —  besides  being 
the  possessor  of  a  devil  of  a  temper.  After  some  more 
banter,  which  I  instigated  to  become  somewhat  ac- 
quainted with  my  prospective  partner,  I  came  to  busi- 
ness. 

"  Do  you  know,  Countess,  the  object  of  my 
mission?" 

"  Nothing  beyond  the  intimation  of  your  coming 
and  the  command  to  cooperate  with  you  if  necessary. 
So  you  had  better  enlighten  me,  mon  chere." 

I  did  so  with  some  reservation,  it  being  my  habit 
not  to  let  anyone  into  a  thing  too  much,  least  of  all  a 
woman.  I  suggested  that  our  first  object  was  to 
make  Prince  Galitzin's  acquaintance.  As  his  Serene 
Highness  resided  at  the  Hotel  de  Londres,  we  agreed 
to  dine  there.  After  accepting  a  dainty  cup  of  choco- 
late I  departed,  purposely  returning  home  by  way  of 
the  Londres.  Here,  with  a  little  diplomacy,  I  man- 
aged to  reserve  for  dinner  the  table  I  wanted,  one  next 
to  the  Prince.  Well  pleased,  I  later  dressed,  armed 
myself  with  a  bouquet  of  La  France  roses,  and  called 
on  my  partner. 

I  had  the  roses  sent  up  and  waited.  The  Countess 
sent  word  that  she  would  be  down  shortly.  I  smoked 
three  cigarettes.  Still  no  Countess.  I  have  yet  to 
meet  a  woman  who  could  or  would  be  punctual.  Fi- 

101 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

nally  I  heard  the  soft  swish  and  frou-frou  of  silk  gar- 
ments and  looking  up  saw  her  ladyship  coming 
down  the  grand  stairway.  She  was  brilliantly  robed, 
jewels  flashed  at  her  neck  and  wrists.  She  was  of 
that  type  of  beauty  difficult  to  classify,  although  as- 
sured of  approval  in  any  quarter  of  the  world. 

"Tired  of  waiting,  mon  ami?"  tapping  me  play- 
fully on  the  arm.  "  See,  in  return  for  your  patience  I 
am  wearing  your  roses." 

She  had  them  pinned  on  her  corsage.  We  entered 
our  carriage  and  drove  to  the  Hotel  de  Londres,  dis- 
cussing the  parts  we  were  going  to  play.  Would  the 
Kussian  Bear  be  caught?  I  wondered.  When  we  ar- 
rived, I  saw  that  the  hotel  was  pretty  well  filled. 
Everybody  who  was  anybody  seemed  to  be  there.  I 
noticed  a  number  of  prominent  American  society 
ladies.  Experience  has  taught  me  that  there  are 
three  places  where  you  meet  sooner  or  later  every 
known  person  in  the  world, —  Piccadilly  Circus,  the 
terrace  of  Shephard's  Hotel,  Cairo,  and  Monte  Carlo. 

Remembering  our  diplomatic  conversation  of  the 
afternoon,  the  maitre  d'hdtel  came  rushing  forward 
and  with  profound  bows  directed  us  to  our  table, 
which  was  tastefully  decorated  with  La  France  roses, 
the  Countess'  favorites  (charged  to  expenses).  As 
we  walked  slowly  down  the  passage  to  our  table,  many 
eyes  were  turned  toward  us.  The  Countess  appeared 
unconscious  of  it  all.  Lazily,  half  insolently  observ- 
ant, yet  wholly  unconcerned,  she  was  without  doubt 
the  most  strikingly  beautiful  woman  in  the  assembly ; 

102 


THE  INTRIGUE  AT  MONTE  CARLO 

this,  though  the  society  of  the  world  seemed  to  fill  the 
Londres  that  night.  Poor  Galitzin ! 

As  we  seated  ourselves,  a  hush  fell  about  the  im- 
mediate table  to  our  right  and  left.  It  was  followed 
by  a  low  buzzing  of  curious  or  interested,  wise  or  igno- 
rant, human  bees.  On  our  right  I  saw  the  Prince 
Galitzin.  From  the  moment  of  our  entrance  he  had 
kept  looking  at  the  Countess.  I  watched  him  out  of 
the  corner  of  my  eye,  and  abruptly  he  changed  seats 
with  one  of  the  gentlemen  at  his  table.  Obviously  his 
view  of  the  Countess'  face  was  not  at  the  angle  he 
wished.  Screwing  his  monocle  in  his  eye,  he  began 
to  stare  pretty  consistently. 

Of  course  this  delighted  me.  The  avidity  with 
which  his  Serene  Highness  was  swallowing  the  bait 
promised  much.  I  thought  it  advisable,  however,  to 
create  a  little  diversion,  something  that  would  drive 
away  a  possible  suspicion  that  this  was  a  "  plant." 
It  was  perfectly  obvious  to  all  that  the  Prince  was  be- 
coming fascinated.  Also,  he  was  losing  his  head,  for 
he  was  showing  his  fascination  in  a  rather  rude  man- 
ner. His  staring  began  to  attract  some  attention. 

That  was  the  opportunity  I  was  looking  for.  Call- 
ing the  maitre  d'hdtel,  I  requested  him,  pitching  my 
voice  so  that  it  would  be  easily  audible  at  the  sur- 
rounding tables : 

"  Persuade  the  gentleman  on  our  right  to  discon- 
tinue his  annoying  stare." 

I  saw  that  the  Prince  had  heard  my  request. 
Flushing  deeply  red,  he  abruptly  rose  and  with  a  bow 

103 


THE  SECEETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

to  the  Countess  went  out  of  the  room.     It  was  as  I 
wished. 

We  finished  our  exquisite  and  excellently  well- 
served  dinner,  and  went  out  to  the  Terrace  Gardens 
to  have  our  caf£  Turc  and  cigarettes.  This,  to  my 
mind,  is  the  most  enjoyable  hour  of  the  day,  especially 
in  a  place  like  Monte  Carlo,  well  groomed,  well  fed, 
surrounded  by  an  ever-varying  throng  of  interesting 
people,  beautiful  scenery,  exquisite  music,  the  ideal 
dolce  far  niente. 

Slowly  inhaling  the  smoke  of  my  excellent  Medijeh, 
I  fell  into  a  sort  of  contemplative  reverie  while  wait- 
ing for  the  Prince.  I  knew  he  would  come.  Back 
and  forth  in  front  of  me  wandered  humanity,  all 
grades  and  shades.  Here  a  prince,  scion  of  a  noble 
house,  there  a  parvenu,  fresh  from  his  latest  stock- 
jobbing victory.  Here  a  mondaine,  a  demi-mondaine 
with  a  reputation  in  half  a  dozen  countries.  Here  a 
group  of  famous  lights  of  the  stage,  there  a  couple  of 
eminent  statesmen.  Truly,  a  cosmopolitan  crowd. 
What  if  the  antecedents  of  some  of  the  pleasure 
seekers  here  were  known?  I  recognized  many  and  it 
being  my  business  to  know  such  things,  their  stories 
came  back  to  me  magically.  Skeletons  at  the  feast? 
Oh,  yes,  grewsome  ones,  too.  Just  as  well,  an  all- 
wise  Providence  has  ordained  our  inability  to  see  be- 
hind the  veil.  I  knew  that  the  woman  opposite  me 
could  no  more  afford  to  lift  her  veil  than  I  could  mine. 

Then  one  of  the  gentlemen  from  the  Prince's  table 
came  up  and  addressed  me.  First,  however,  he 

104 


THE  INTRIGUE  AT  MONTE  CARLO 

handed  me  a  card,  which  I  saw  bore  the  name  of 
Prince  Kassimir  Vladimir  Galitzin. 

"  Monsieur,"  said  the  Prince's  companion,  "  I'm 
deputed  by  the  Prince  to  convey  his  regrets,  should 
he  have  caused  Madame  or  you  any  annoyance.  The 
Prince  begs  permission  to  make  his  apology  to  Ma- 
dame in  person." 

I  replied  in  words  to  the  effect  that  Madame  being 
a  free  agent  and  only  an  acquaintance  of  mine,  must 
decide  this  for  herself. 

"  Personally,"  I  added,  "  I  have  no  objection." 

The  Countess  simply  nodded.  The  Prince's  envoy 
bowed  and  went  away. 

He  returned  in  a  few  minutes  with  the  Prince. 
Mutual  introductions,  general  chatting,  the  Prince 
confining  himself  exclusively  to  the  Countess.  About 
half  an  hour's  talk,  refreshments,  and  there  came  an 
arrangement  for  luncheon  the  next  day  at  which  the 
Countess  and  myself  were  invited  to  be  the  guests  of 
the  Prince. 

The  luncheon  was  duly  given  at  the  Hotel  Londres 
and  the  Prince  was  a  princely  host.  Having  been  in- 
vited, I  had  to  attend.  There  was  a  theater  party  that 
evening  however,  to  which  I  was  not  invited,  and  sup- 
per after,  to  which  I  was  not  invited.  Indeed,  when  I 
met  the  Prince  Galitzin  on  the  grand  promenade  the 
next  day,  he  gave  me  a  very  princely  stare  and  kept  on 
walking.  All  of  which  suited  me  perfectly  well.  He 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  Countess. 

From  afar  I  watched  him  become  daily  more  in- 

105 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

fatuated.  They  were  constantly  driving  and  attend- 
ing theaters  together.  The  Prince  was  showering 
valuable  presents  right  and  left.  In  the  midst  of  this, 
I  received  information  that  Delcasse  had  arrived  at 
Mzza.  The  Countess  had  her  eyes  on  the  Prince,  so 
this  left  me  free  to  take  care  of  Delcasse.  My  work 
was  now  to  learn  if  the  French  minister  held  any  meet- 
ings with  Sir  Edward  Grey  or  Winston  Churchill, 
ministers  from  England,  who  were  shortly  expected 
also  to  arrive  at  Nizza.  Subsequently  I  guessed  there 
would  be  a  final  meeting  with  the  Prince.  I  continu- 
ally and  unobtrusively  followed  Delcasse  everywhere, 
but  nothing  eventuated  owing  to  unforeseen  circum- 
stances in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  the  Cabinet  of 
England,  Sir  Edward  and  Churchill  were  unable  to 
take  their  "  vacation  trips  "  in  person.  So  they  sent 
an  emissary  with  important  documents  to  Delcasse, 
one  of  which  came  to  light  in  his  subsequent  meeting 
with  Prince  Galitzin. 

On  the  night  of  the  ninth  of  November  I  received  a 
wire  from  the  Countess.  It  was  delivered  at  the 
Hotel  Anglais,  Nizza.  Opening  it,  I  read : 

"  Return.  De  Camp  here.  Meeting  our  friend." 
Of  course  by  De  Camp  she  meant  Delcasse.  Clearly 
he  had  slipped  away  from  me.  "  Our  friend "  re- 
ferred to  the  Prince.  This  was  news  indeed!  Hir- 
ing an  automobile  I  made  record  time  for  Monte 
Carlo.  I  arrived  at  my  hotel  about  three  o'clock  in 
the  morning  of  the  tenth  and  found  awaiting  me  in 
my  room,  the  Countess'  maid.  She  delivered  part  of 

106 


THE  INTRIGUE  AT  MONTE  CARLO 

an  important  conversation  which  had  taken  place  be- 
tween Delcasse  and  the  Prince,  and  of  which  I  shall 
presently  give  the  substance  and  its  explanation.  In- 
structing the  maid  to  inform  her  mistress  that  I 
wished  to  see  her  at  ten  A.  M.  at  the  Casino,  in  the 
Salle  des  Estranger,  I  dismissed  her.  I  chose  the 
Salle  des  Estranger  because  it  was  the  most  frequented 
and  for  that  reason  the  least  suspicious  meeting 
place. 

We  met  as  appointed  and  the  Countess  confirmed 
the  maid's  report.  For  about  three  hours  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  ninth,  Delcasse,  of  France,  and  Prince 
Galitzin  of  Kussia  were  in  conference  in  the  Prince's 
chamber  at  the  Hotel  de  Londres.  Having  changed 
her  hotel  and  being  in  a  chamber  adjoining  the 
Prince's,  the  Countess  had  managed  to  overhear  most 
of  this  conversation.  In  her  report  there  were  natu- 
rally some  blanks.  She  had  not  been  able  to  hear 
every  word  uttered.  But  the  purport  and  trend 
showed  me  it  was  of  tremendous  importance. 

It  was  evidently  an  arrangement  between  France 
and  Russia,  with  the  understanding  of  England,  to 
force  Germany  into  an  abject  isolation.  Going  fur- 
ther, they  were  trying  through  a  closer  alliance  of 
these  three  great  powers  to  curtail  the  activities  of 
German  expansion  and  completely  coup  her  up 
diplomatically.  The  Countess  told  me  that  Prince 
Galitzin  and  Delcasse  were  going  to  meet  again  that 
same  afternoon  about  five  o'clock.  As  it  was  abso- 
lutely imperative  to  obtain  knowledge  of  the  rest  of 

107 


the  conversation  I  enjoined  the  Countess  to  exert  all 
her  skill  to  secure  the  details  at  this  most  important 
interview,  and  to  meet  me  once  more  in  a  corner  of  the 
Salle  des  Estrangers,  this  time  at  seven  o'clock. 

I  returned  to  my  hotel,  settled  my  bill  and  had  my 
grip  taken  over  to  the  railway  station ;  I  got  a  ticket 
for  Milan.  It  is  always  advisable  to  lay  your  plans 
carefully  for  a  possibly  very  hurried  exit,  the  nearest 
friendly  border  in  this  instance  being  Italy.  In  the 
event  of  trouble  arising,  hurrying  through  France 
would  have  been  out  of  the  question.  Switzerland  is 
an  independent  country  which  would  have  held  me  up 
officially  on  being  requested  to  do  so,  although  they  do 
not  extradite  for  political  offenses,  but  being  held  up 
is  bad  enough.  But  once  across  the  Italian  border,  I 
was  safe  enough.  A  semi-official  hint  from  the  Wil- 
helmstrasse  to  the  Quirinal  would  always  procure  an 
open  sesame  for  me  —  no  danger  of  being  held  up 
there.  Hence  the  ticket  for  Milan. 

The  intervening  hours  I  spent  on  the  outskirts  of 
Monte  Carlo,  dropping  into  many  a  quaint  little  wine 
cellar.  At  dusk  I  entered  the  Salle  des  Estrangers  of 
the  Casino  and  settling  myself  comfortably  in  the  ap- 
pointed corner,  awaited  developments.  It  was  a  try- 
ing wait.  I  sat  there  from  seven  to  ten-thirty,  smok- 
ing incessantly.  I  was  just  finishing  my  last  ciga- 
rette and  I  had  about  come  to  the  end  of  my  resources 
in  entertaining  myself.  One  has-  ample  time  to  con- 
jecture all  sorts  of  possible  mishaps,  and  mishaps  are 
deucedly  uncomfortable  in  this  sort  of  work. 

108 


THE  INTRIGUE  AT  MONTE  CARLO 

Not  to  create  curiosity  or  suspicion,  by  my  long  oc- 
cupation of  this  particular  corner,  I  had  started  a 
tremendous  flirtation  with  a  rather  plain,  rather  ro- 
tund lady  of  the  English  Cook's  Tour  type.  Her  re- 
turn glances  and  smiles  attracted  the  amused  atten- 
tion of  most  of  the  passers-by,  especially  the  attendant 
of  that  part  of  the  Salle.  This  was  rather  good,  for 
if  one  does  not  gamble  or  flirt  in  the  Casino  he  is  re- 
garded by  the  commissaires  as  a  Chevalier  d'Industrie, 
in  other  words  "  confidence  man." 


Just  then  I  saw  the  Countess'  maid  making  a  signal 
to  me  from  the  entrance  door  and  without  as  much  as 
by  your  leave  I  hurried  after  her.  In  about  ten 
strides,  I  overtook  the  girl. 

"  Have  you  got  anything  for  me?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  she  replied.  "  But  her  Ladyship  wishes 
to  meet  you.  You  are  pleased  to  make  a  rendezvous." 

This  was  clever  and  suited  me;  knowing  that  she 
must  have  procured  something  of  importance,  I  se- 
lected a  little  cafe",  the  Boulanger,  close  to  the  station, 
and  after  giving  the  girl  a  louis,  I  jumped  into  a  car- 

109 


riage  and  drove  there.  In  a  short  time  I  was  joined 
by  the  Countess  who  had  thrown  a  hooded  mantle 
over  a  brilliant  evening  gown.  Quietly  slipping  into 
a  chair  next  to  me  she  took  some  folded  papers  out  of 
her  glove,  and  while  fastening  a  little  rosebud  into  my 
lapel  slipped  them  into  my  pockets  with  the  words : 

"  All  I  could  obtain,  but  you'll  find  it  sufficient. 
I'm  leaving  for  Home  to-morrow  night.  Bon  voy- 
age ! " 

I  looked  at  my  watch  and  saw  I  had  time  to  catch 
the  train  for  Milan.  No  sooner  was  I  locked  in  my 
coup6  and  the  train  in  motion,  when  I  had  a  good  look 
at  the  papers.  They  were  two  half  sheets  of  note 
paper,  embossed  with  the  princely  coat  of  arms  and 
containing  abbreviated  sentences  of  dates,  and  names 
and  a  route,  all  in  the  handwriting  of  Delcasse  and 
the  Prince.  The  whole  gist  with  her  repeated,  over- 
heard snatches  of  conversation  showed  clearly  an  in- 
tended secret  visit  of  the  President  of  France  to  the 
Czar  of  Kussia,  the  names  of  the  officials  to  be  pres- 
ent and  the  meeting  place,  the  Czar's  yacht,  the 
Staandarty  off  Kronstadt,  This  meeting,  however, 
did  not  take  place,  the  Kaiser  forestalling  it  by  his 
quick  action  on  the  Moroccan  situation. 

From  Milan  I  went  to  Berlin  and  within  forty- 
eight  hours  the  documents  were  delivered  into  the 
hands  of  Count  von  Wedel,  and  then  into  the  hands  of 
the  Emperor.  Their  significance  was  this : 

The  Moroccan  trouble  was  very  ominous.  Germany 
was  in  a  position  where,  sooner  or  later,  she  would  be 

110 


THE  INTRIGUE  AT  MONTE  CARLO 

forced  to  act.  Before  this  mission  the  Kaiser  was  in 
the  dark.  France,  Kussia  and  England  did  not  have 
their  cards  on  the  table.  He  did  not  know  which 
countries  would  remain  neutral  in  case  of  war  with 
France.  He  had  suspected  that  there  was  some  sort 
of  an  understanding  brewing  against  him.  The  re- 
sults of  my  mission  —  learning  of  Sir  Edward  Grey's 
message  to  Delcasse,  Delcasse's  meeting  with  Prince 
Galitzin  of  Russia  —  confirmed  this  beyond  all 
doubt. 

But  how  strong  was  this  alliance?  How  close 
would  England  stick  to  France?  This  he  did  not 
know.  He  only  knew  that  there  was  a  sort  of  an 
agreement,  and  to  find  out  just  how  strong  was  the 
bond  between  England  and  France,  he  used  a  master 
stroke  of  diplomacy.  He  brought  the  Moroccan  ques- 
tion to  a  crisis,  long  before  it  was  anticipated ;  he  sent 
the  warship  Panther  into  Agadir  Harbor  and  forced 
England  and  France  to  show  their  hands.  How  close 
war  was  averted,  only  four  persons  knew  at  that  time 
—  the  Captain  of  the  Panther,  von  Wedel,  the 
Kaiser  and  myself.  And  how  Europe  just  missed  be- 
ing plunged  into  a  tremendous  war  I  shall  tell  of  in 
my  secret  mission  that  nipped  war  in  the  bud. 

I  came  near  forgetting.  For  his  discretion  at 
Monte  Carlo,  the  Czar  rewarded  Prince  Galitzin  by 
transferring  him  to  a  province  in  Siberia. 


Ill 


IT  was  Kaiser  weather  in  Germany.  Back  from  a 
five  months'  trip  to  the  Far  East,  Berlin  seemed  to 
me  like  Heaven.  I  had  finished  a  secret  diplomatic 
mission  for  the  Kaiser  and  as  a  result  my  pocketbook 
was  full.  Days  and  days  in  the  Orient  make  a  man 
try  to  crowd  into  the  first  twenty-four  hours  home,  all 
the  enjoyments  that  his  city  offers.  Accordingly, 
with  money  running  through  my  fingers  like  sand,  I 
planned  a  long  ride  in  the  Grunewald;  I  saw  myself 
ordering  the  few  special  dishes  one  gets  at  Kemp- 
insky's ;  I  would  buy  a  good  seat  at  the  Metropole  and 
to  wind  up  I  would  look  in  at  the  Admiral's  Palace 
when  the  performers  were  mingling  in  the  audience. 
It  being  my  first  day  back  in  Berlin,  that  programme 
appealed  to  me  a  lot  more  than  did  the  European 
diplomatic  tangle.  I  had  been  idling  the  early  after- 
noon hours  at  the  Cafe  Bauer,  Unter  den  Linden,  but 
my  programme  for  the  rest  of  the  day  finally  chosen, 
I  got  up,  paid  my  bill  and  strolled  home. 

My  boy  Kim  must  have  been  on  the  lookout  for  me ; 
before  I  could  use  my  key  the  door  flew  open. 

"  Master !  "  he  exclaimed  in  his  heavy,  jerky  voice. 
"  You  are  wanted  on  the  telephone." 

112 


THE  KAISER  PREVENTS  A  WAR 

I  had  an  uneasy  suspicion  of  what  that  meant, 
which  was  confirmed  when  my  boy  added,  "  Number 
A  11  wants  you." 

Bismillah!  That  settled  it!  That  ended  my 
Grunewald,  Kempinsky's,  the  Metropole,  the  Admir- 
al's Palace.  It  meant  the  highway  away.  It  always 
means  that  when  a  man  of  my  position  is  in  Berlin 
and  somebody  says  to  call  up  that  number,  A  11. 
Whenever  A  11  summons  it  is  wise  to  be  prompt.  It 
is  the  number  of  the  Wilhelmstrasse,  the  foreign  office 
of  Germany. 

I  lost  no  time  in  getting  a  connection  and  I  was  told 
to  report  at  the  Wilhelmstrasse  at  10.30  that  night. 
I  was  to  hold  myself  ready  for  instant  service.  I  must 
come  prepared  possibly  for  a  long  journey. 

I  gave  orders  for  my  boy  to  have  me  dressed  by  ten 
o'clock.  I  decided  to  take  a  nap,  for  I  knew  that  mid- 
night interviews  with  the  gentleman  at  the  Wilhelm- 
strasse often  led  to  some  mighty  unexpected  and  pro- 
tracted traveling.  Before  going  to  sleep,  however,  I 
went  over  the  European  situation.  What  had  loomed 
big?  I  hoped  it  was  something  big,  for  while  a  Secret 
Service  agent  doesn't  get  blase,  he  likes  to  work  when 
thrones  or  the  boundaries  of  empires  are  involved. 

I  reflected  that  June  —  it  was  in  1911  —  had  been 
a  decidedly  strenuous  month  for  more  than  one 
cabinet  in  Europe.  Germany  and  France  were  snap- 
ping and  snarling.  France  was  going  around  with  its 
chest  stuck  out;  its  attitude  decidedly  belligerent. 
Of  course,  this  cockiness  was  due  to  the  fat  fingers  of 

113 


THE  SECEETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

honest  John  Bull;  indeed,  England  had  more  than 
ten  fingers  in  this  pie  that  was  baking.  I  knew  that 
the  air  was  full  of  Morocco  and  war  talk.  I  knew  that 
there  was  a  certain  faction  in  Germany  that  was  try- 
ing to  push  the  Kaiser  into  a  war.  This  clique,  com- 
posed of  army  and  navy  men  and  the  junker,  the 
"  Jingo  "  party,  the  big  gun  interests,  backed  by  pub- 
lic opinion,  were  trying  their  utmost  to  urge  war  with 
France.  What  was  the  latest  at  the  Wilhelmstrasse? 

On  the  stroke  of  10.30  I  was  there.  I  handed  my 
number  to  the  commissaire.  This  number  is  impor- 
tant. All  German  secret  agents  are  known  by  num- 
ber, all  carry  little  cards  and  a  photograph  of  mine  is 
published  between  these  covers. 

Presently  the  commissaire  returned  and  showed  me 
into  the  chambers  of  Graf  von  Wedel,  Privy  Coun- 
cilor to  the  German  Emperor.  With  another  man  in 
evening  dress,  I  was  told  to  wait  in  an  antechamber. 
We  bowed,  and  although  we  took  pretty  good  stock 
of  each  other,  neither  spoke.  It  is  an  unwritten  law 
not  to  hold  unnecessary  conversation  in  the  Imperial 
Secret  Service.  After  about  half  an  hour's  wait,  we 
were  shown  into  the  Count's  private  room.  This 
rather  astonished  me,  for  the  usual  rule  at  the  Wil- 
helmstrasse is  to  interview  only  one  man  at  a  time. 
Clearly  something  out  of  the  ordinary  was  in  the 
air.  After  the  Count  greeted  us,  he  inquired  if  we 
were  known  to  each  other.  Receiving  a  negative,  he 
introduced  us.  My  companion  was  a  Herr  von 
Senden,  ex-officer  of  the  Zweite  Gaarde  Dragona. 

114 


THE  KAISER  PREVENTS  A  WAR 

"You  will  both  be  taken  at  half -past  eleven  to  a 
certain  room,"  said  the  Count.  "  You  will  advance 
to  the  middle,  wheel  to  your  right,  face  the  portiere 
and  stand  at  attention.  You  will  answer  all  ques- 
tions, but  make  no  comments  or  queries  yourself.  I 
need  not  enjoin  you  to  total  silence.  You  under- 
stand?" 

We  bowed.  Just  then  a  gong  boomed  somewhere 
below  us.  A  last  word  from  the  Count,  "  Be  ready ! " 
He  left  us.  Reappearing  almost  immediately,  he 
beckoned  us  to  follow  him.  We  noticed  that  he 
seemed  even  more  grave  than  usual.  Down  a  flight  of 
stairs  along  a  great  corridor  we  made  our  way,  no 
one  speaking  a  word.  At  the  end  of  the  corridor  we 
saw  two  sentries ;  then,  a  big  solid  oak  door,  guarded 
by  an  attendant  in  the  livery  of  the  Eoyal  Household. 
At  a  sign  from  the  Count  we  halted ;  he  knocked.  The 
door  was  opened  by  an  officer  of  the  Erste  Gaarde  du 
Corps  and,  remembering  our  instructions,  we  entered 
and  came  to  attention  in  the  middle  of  a  large  room, 
facing  an  adjoining  chamber,  the  portieres  to  which 
were  divided.  The  room  in  which  we  stood  was  bril- 
liantly lighted,  but  the  other  was  dark,  save  for  a 
green  glow  that  came  from  a  shaded  reading  lamp  on 
a  big  writing  desk.  Senden  looked  at  the  desk  and 
gave  a  sort  of  gasp. 

Then  I  quite  understood  his  emotion.  For  seated 
behind  that  heavy,  old-fashioned  desk,  was  Wilhelm 
II,  Emperor  of  Germany. 

We  stood  at  a  rigid  attention,  absolutely  silent,  for 

115 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

full  five  minutes.  The  dimly  lit,  solitary  figure  at  the 
desk  made  no  sign  but  went  on  writing.  I  am  not  a 
timid  or  a  nervous  man,  the  sort  of  work  I  was  doing 
seasons  one  pretty  thoroughly.  But  this  began  to 
get  on  my  nerves.  Drawn  up  in  front  of  the  Em- 
peror and  waiting,  waiting.  Contact  with  the  great 
ones  of  the  earth,  especially  through  Secret  Service, 
can  take  some  almighty  queer  turns  and  a  short  cir- 
cuit is  confoundedly  unhealthy  for  the  negative  wire. 
The  more  I  looked  at  that  silent,  lonely  figure,  War 
Lord  of  Europe,  the  more  I  began  to  feel  a  great  big 
longing  for  the  African  Veldt,  a  thousand  miles 
north  of  Port  Natal,  preferably. 

Suddenly  the  Emperor  made  a  move,  and  there 
came  a  sharp,  rather  high  pitched  voice,  saying, 
"  Wedel,  I  will  see  the  doctor." 

At  once  Herr  Senden  was  shown  from  the  room ;  ob- 
viously the  mission,  whatever  it  was,  was  not  for  him. 
I  never  saw  him  again. 

I  was  bidden  to  step  to  within  three  paces  of  the 
Emperor;  the  officer  who  escorted  Herr  von  Senden 
from  the  room  attempted  to  return,  but  was  waved 
out.  There  were  just  the  three  of  us :  Count  Wedel, 
standing  at  the  corner  of  the  desk  on  the  right,  the 
Kaiser  and  myself.  I  had  seen  the  Emperor  on  many 
occasions,  but  never  so  close  before.  He  appeared  to 
be  lost  in  some  document.  He  looked  well  but  older 
than  any  of  his  portraits.  Tanned,  almost  dark,  his 
rather  lean  face  bore  a  striking  likeness  to  Frederick 
the  Great;  more  so  than  ever,  for  he  is  getting  gray. 

116 


THE  KAISER  PREVENTS  A  WAR 

I  realized  that  none  of  his  portraits  do  his  eyes  justice. 
Of  a  bluish-steel  gray,  they  have  an  icy,  impersonal, 
weighing  look  in  them.  It  is  hard  to  define.  It 
struck  me  in  that  moment  that  Lord  Kitchener,  Teu- 
fick  Pasha,  Cecil  Rhodes,  and  Li  Hung  Chang  had  ex- 
actly those  same  eyes  —  the  eyes  of  men  who  feel  it 
in  them  to  master  the  world. 

Presently  His  Majesty  looked  up,  and  in  that  same, 
rather  shrill  voice,  asked : 

"  How  long  are  you  in  the  Service?  " 

"  Three  years,  sir." 

"  You  know  Morocco?  " 

Morocco!  So  that  was  it.  France  and  Germany 
quarreling  over  the  bone,  at  the  point  of  war !  I  re- 
plied : 

"Yes,  sir!" 

"  How  long  were  you  in  Morocco?  "  continued  the 
Emperor. 

"  About  twelve  months,  sir." 

On  this  he  seemed  to  hesitate.  Frankly,  I  was 
nervous,  so  instead  of  thinking  about  Morocco,  I  no- 
ticed that  the  Kaiser  wore  the  undress  uniform  of  a 
Colonel  of  the  Grenadier  Guard  with  the  star  of  the 
Order  Pour  le  Merite,  dangling  from  his  coat  button. 
As  if  making  up  his  mind,  he  turned  again  on  me  those 
gray  eyes. 

"  You  know  Kaid  MacLean?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  How  did  you  get  to  know  him?  " 

"  I  happened  to  be  of  assistance  to  Sir  Harry  Kaid 

117 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

MacLean  who  was  at  that  time  Commander-in-Chief 
and  Man-of -Affairs  to  the  Sultan  of  Morocco." 

My  answer  seemed  to  please  the  Emperor,  for  his 
eyes  gleamed. 

"Any  likelihood  of  his  remembering  your  serv- 
ices? " 

I  hesitated,  then  said : 

"  I  cannot  vouch  for  another  man's  memory,  sire. 
Besides,  I  do  not  care  to  put  the  Kaid  to  the  test," 

The  Emperor  looked  at  me  queerly,  but,  evidently 
satisfied  with  my  answer,  he  turned  to  Count  Wedel, 
saying : 

"  He  will  do.     Have  the  dispatches  ready." 

At  once  the  Count  hurried  noiselessly  into  an  ad- 
joining room.  The  Kaiser,  making  one  of  his  charac- 
teristic sudden  movements,  flung  himself  back  into 
the  chair,  looked  steadily  at  me,  and  added: 

"  Besides  the  official  dispatches  you  will  memorize 
these  commands,  for  the  Captain  of  the  warship 
Panther"  He  handed  me  a  note,  which  I  did  not 
immediately  look  at,  for  he  continued :  "  Outside 
of  Count  Wedel,  no  one  is  to  know  anything  of  your 
mission.  No  one  is  to  know  that  you  are  carrying  a 
verbal  message  from  me  to  the  Captain  of  the  warship 
Panther.  Understand? " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

The  Emperor  as  abruptly  drew  himself  forward, 
and  propping  his  head  with  his  hands,  fell  into  a 
deep  study,  gazing  fixedly  at  nothing.  He  seemed 
in  that  moment  to  be  considerably  older.  His  face, 

118 


THE  KAISER  PREVENTS  A  WAR 

even  for  the  tan,  had  that  grayish  look  of  a  man  who 
is  carrying  some  tremendous  responsibility.  It  came 
to  me  swiftly,  the  popular  clamor  for  war,  Panther! 
—  the  Panther  was  lying  off  Spain  ready  to  steam 
across  the  Mediterranean  to  Morocco.  And  I  was 
to  bear  secret  orders  from  the  Emperor  to  the 
Panther's  captain. 

Then  I  opened  the  note  that  the  Emperor  had  given 
me,  and  began  to  memorize  its  contents.  Amazement 
must  have  shown  on  my  face.  A  blow  with  a  feather 
would  have  knocked  me  down.  No  wonder  Wilhelm 
II  was  staring  blankly,  no  wonder  this  message  had 
to  be  delivered  verbally.  Hurriedly  I  began  to  mem- 
orize it.  Presently,  I  saw  Count  Wedel  come  in  and 
he  and  the  Kaiser  began  to  talk  in  whispers.  Then 
Wilhelm  looked  up  and  said: 

"  Have  you  memorized  it?  " 

"  Yes,  sir !  "  Taking  the  note  from  me,  he  at  once 
struck  a  match  and  held  it  under  the  paper  until 
it  was  reduced  to  ashes.  Then  making  a  curt  gesture 
of  dismissal,  Wedel  gave  me  a  signal  to  retire  and 
we  backed  toward  the  door.  I  was  in  possession  of 
a  secret  known  only  to  the  Emperor  himself  and 
which  at  that  moment  the  cabinets  of  France  and 
England  and  the  financiers  of  the  world  would  have 
given  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  to  possess. 
Out  into  the  hall  we  backed,  always  being  careful 
never  to  commit  the  discourtesy  of  turning  our  faces 
away  from  the  Emperor,  and  the  last  I  saw  of  him, 
was  that  lonely  figure  seated  at  his  desk,  the  greenish 

119 


THE  SECRETS  OP  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

light  playing  over  him,  around  and  beyond  him 
darkness  and  his  face  illuminated  against  that  back- 
ground, grayish,  old.  There  he  was,  at  his  desk  at 
midnight,  in  an  underground  chamber  of  the  For- 
eign Office,  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  working  in  soli- 
tude, while  most  of  his  subjects  slept,  tirelessly  map- 
ping out  a  policy  the  trend  of  which  he  dared  dis- 
cuss with  no  man  save  Wedel  and  possibly  his  oldest 
son. 

Bowing,  we  were  out  in  the  hall;  the  big  oaken 
door  closed.  Wedel  led  the  way  to  his  private  cham- 
ber. He  produced  a  package  of  sealed  papers  and 
handing  it  to  me,  said : 

"  Doctor,  this  is  a  most  important  affair.  There 
is  a  most  serious  trouble  brewing  somewhere  —  trou- 
ble about  war.  We  have  our  suspicions  as  to  what 
power  is  behind  all  this  and  we  are  going  to  find  out. 
You  are  well  enough  acquainted  with  the  situation 
to  require  no  further  illustration.  You  know  how 
here  at  home  they  are  also  trying  to  force  the  Em- 
peror into  a  war —  You  will  leave  this  package  at 
the  Embassy  in  Paris.  It  must  be  there  at  the  Rue 
de  Lille  to-morrow  noon.  To  do  so  you  will  have  to 
catch  the  Orient  Express  at  half-past  three  this  morn- 
ing. At  the  Paris  legation  you  will  receive  another 
package  which  you  will  take  on  to  Madrid.  After 
delivering  this,  you  have  carte  blanche  to  make  your 
way  to  the  Panther,  which  you  will  find  off  Barce- 
lona. Also,  you  will  visit  Gibraltar  and  inform  your- 
self of  the  strength  and  state  of  preparation  of  the 

120 


THE  KAISER  PREVENTS  A  WAR 

British  Naval  Squadron  there."  He  paused.  "  This 
time  you  will  not  apply  at  the  cashier's  desk.  Your 
expenses  are  borne  this  time  out  of  the  Emperor's 
private  chatulle.  In  a  few  hours  time  I  will  have 
French  and  Spanish  money  ready  for  you  and  send  it 
to  your  lodgings.  You  thoroughly  understand  your 
instructions?  Of  course,  you  have  not  forgotten  the 
message  that  you  memorized  before  the  Emperor?  " 

I  assured  him  I  had  not  and  after  a  cordial  hand- 
shake I  bowed  myself  out  and  hurried  back  to  my 
quarters.  Here  I  found  that  my  boy  had  my  travel- 
ing bag  ready  with  his  usual  completeness.  One  does 
not  take  much  baggage  on  these  trips.  Pajamas, 
slippers,  smoking  cap,  tooth  brush,  have  seen  me 
three-quarters  around  the  globe,  and  I  never  carried 
a  six-shooter  in  my  life.  In  all  my  experience  I  have 
seen  few  secret  agents  who  do  carry  it.  The  only 
protective  article  I  ever  carried  wras  a  little  silk  bag 
containing  a  mixture  of  cayenne  pepper,  snuff  and 
certain  chemicals.  It  is  very  effective  to  throw  into 
the  faces  of  those  who  attack  you. 

Soon  there  came  a  messenger  from  Wedel  with  the 
promised  funds,  a  thousand  francs  and  two  thousand 
pesos.  It  lacked  a  half  hour  to  three-thirty,  so  I 
made  my  way  to  the  Friedrichstrasse  depot  on  foot. 
Experience  has  taught  me  that  the  Orient  Express 
is  generally  overcrowded  and  that  unless  one  reaches 
the  depot  early  and  uses  a  good  deal  of  palm  oil,  it 
is  impossible  to  secure  a  decent  seat.  A  judicious 
oiling  of  palms  enabled  me  to  get  a  very  pleasant 

121 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

window  seat  in  the  middle  compartment.  After  mak- 
ing myself  at  home  I  took  a  tour  through  the  train. 
It  is  my  invariable  custom  to  take  stock  of  my  fellow 
travelers  and  in  this  case  it  was  most  imperative. 

Nothing  happened  until  we  pulled  in  at  Frank- 
fort-on-the-Main,  the  second  last  stop  for  the  express 
in  Germany.  Glancing  out  of  the  window  I  saw  a 
party  of  three  entering  the  carriage.  They  selected 
the  compartment  next  to  mine.  Obviously  they  were 
traveling  together,  equally  obvious  was  it  that  there 
was  plenty  of  room  in  their  own  compartment.  The 
train  was  hardly  in  motion,  however,  when  the  woman 
of  the  party  entered  my  compartment.  She  started 
to  complain  about  being  annoyed  by  the  man  next 
door  and  to  ask  my  protection.  As  a  matter  of  course, 
I  got  up  and  offered  my  assistance  to  remove  her 
belongings  into  my  compartment.  I  had,  up  to  now, 
not  the  slightest  doubt  as  to  there  being  anything 
fishy  in  her  request.  I  had,  in  fact,  no  reason  to  be 
apprehensive  of  any  interference,  because  only  two 
people  besides  myself  —  Wedel  and  the  Emperor  — 
knew  my  mission.  Of  course,  there  were  others  who 
would  have  given  anything  to  know  of  it,  who  would 
have  done  anything  to  prevent  my  reaching  my  desti- 
nation. 

I  had  hardly  entered  the  compartment  and  tried  to 
remove  the  traveling  bag  indicated  by  the  lady  as 
hers,  when  one  of  the  men  exclaimed : 

"  How  dare  you  remove  my  wife's  property?  " 

The  lady  in  question  stood  in  the  corridor  of  the 

122 


THE  KAISER  PREVENTS  A  WAR 

carriage.  I  had  my  back  to  her  but  I  could  see  her 
by  means  of  the  looking-glass  with  which  the  sides 
of  the  compartment  were  framed.  I  noticed  her  make 
a  sign  to  the  man.  Of  course,  this  put  a  different 
light  on  the  affair.  It  was  preconceived.  For  the 
life  of  me,  though,  I  could  not  see  how  they  could  use 
the  situation  to  advantage. 

Presently  I  was  enlightened.  When  the  conductor 
came  along,  the  "  husband  "  coolly  requested  my  de- 
tention on  grounds  of  interference  with  his  wife's 
luggage.  He  was  stanchly  supported  by  the  other 
man  and  by  the  lady  who  had  come  to  me  for  as- 
sistance. I  attempted  to  explain,  but  it  didn't  go 
down  with  the  conductor.  Pending  our  arrival  at 
Cologne,  he  locked  me  up  in  my  compartment  and 
leaving  me,  said  that  he  intended  to  hand  me  over  to 
the  station  master  here. 

I  had  time  to  ponder  over  my  situation.  I  was 
thoroughly  angry,  chiefly  with  myself.  Here  I  was, 
an  old,  and  presumably  experienced,  secret  agent  and 
I  was  caught  by  a  simple  device.  But  the  simplicity 
got  me !  When  one  is  prepared  for  elaborate  schemes, 
the  simplest  trick  lands  one  high  and  dry.  Still  I 
could  see  no  daylight.  They  could  not  hope  to  keep 
me  on  this  preposterous  charge.  A  single  wire  to 
Berlin  would  settle  the  matter,  but  then  there  would 
be  a  delay.  I  would  not  reach  Paris  until  six  o'clock 
at  night.  Wedel  had  insisted  that  I  be  there  at 
noon.  Hum ! 

Delays  at  this  time  were  of  tremendous  importance. 

123 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

A  difference  of  six  hours  might  mean  war.  Powerful 
influences  in  Germany  were  all  for  war.  It  filled  the 
air.  It  needed  only  a  false  or  overstep  on  the  part 
of  any  government  official  to  bring  about  an  explo- 
sion. France  seemed  fairly  itching  for  a  fight.  My 
verbal  message  to  the  captain  of  the  Panther  must 
be  delivered  on  schedule  or  the  explosion  might  occur. 
I  began  to  see  what  they  hoped  to  gain  by  the  trick 
of  detaining  me,  but  how  they  got  word  of  my  mis- 
sion I  have  never  been  able  to  learn.  I  must  have 
been  shadowed  from  my  lodging  to  the  Wilhelm- 
strasse  and  subsequently  lain  in  wait  for  on  general 
principles. 

According  to  the  time-table,  the  Orient  Express 
stops  at  Cologne  nine  minutes.  This  time  it  stopped 
eleven.  The  station  master  held  it  up.  After  the 
party  in  the  next  compartment  made  their  charge,  we 
all  hurried  to  his  office.  I  called  the  station  master 
aside  and  showed  him  my  Secret  Service  card. 

I  showed  him  a  package  addressed  and  sealed  to 
the  German  Embassy  at  Paris.  It  was  an  official 
linen  envelope  tied  with  a  black  and  white  silk  cord 
and  with  the  Foreign  Office  seal  on  the  back.  He 
was  impressed. 

"  This  is  a  ridiculous  charge,"  I  declared.  "  Tele- 
phone the  Wilhelmstrasse  at  my  expense.  Detain  me 
and  you  do  so  at  your  own  peril.  That  is  all.  I  have 
given  you  the  facts.  I  put  no  obstacle  in  the  path  of 
your  duty.  I  judge,  though,  that  you  are  a  man  of 
discretion." 

124 


The  station  master  was  a  man  of  discretion.  I 
could  imagine  what  was  going  through  his  mind: 

"  This  fellow  who  says  he  is  the  Emperor's  mes- 
senger," he  doubtless  thought,  "  has  three  more  hours 
on  that  train  before  he  crosses  the  German  border. 
If  he  isn't  what  he  claims  to  be,  we  can  catch  him  at 
the  Frontier.  If  he  is  what  he  claims  to  be  and  I  hold 
him  here,  I  will  get  in  trouble." 

Finally,  he  told  the  others  that  their  charge  was 
too  thin  and  they  hurriedly  left  his  office.  I  never 
saw  them  again.  The  station  master  escorted  me  to 
my  compartment  and  I  noticed  that  from  Cologne 
to  the  French  Frontier  I  had  no  other  traveling  com- 
panions. My  arrival  and  what  I  accomplished  in 
Paris  is  commonplace.  Arriving  in  the  Gare  du 
Norde,  I  took  a  taxi  to  the  German  Embassy  on  the 
Rue  de  Lille,  where  an  under-secretary  signed  for 
my  dispatches  and  handed  me  two  letters  addressed 
to  the  Embassy  in  Madrid.  I  immediately  posted  his 
receipt  to  the  Wilhelmstrasse,  something  German  se- 
cret agents  always  must  do  —  mail  the  Foreign  Office 
signatures  for  documents  as  soon  as  they  are  deliv- 
ered. Without  further  adventure  I  reached  Madrid. 
As  the  train  was  four  hours  late  I  did  not  present 
myself  at  the  Embassy.  I  was  met  by  a  commissaire 
at  the  station,  delivered  him  the  paper,  received  his 
signature,  posted  it  to  the  Wilhelmstrasse,  and  made 
connections  for  Barcelona.  Somewhere  off  the  city, 
on  the  open  sea,  the  Panther  was  waiting. 

With  the  utmost  difficulty  I  chartered  a  tug  and 

125 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

in  the  twilight  set  off  to  find  the  Panther.  It  was 
coming  night  when  we  finally  saw  her  dark  trim  hull 
lying  against  the  horizon.  Well  named  the  Panther, 
for  in  this  case  a  false  spring  by  her  meant  war.  As 
we  steamed  up  alongside  a  sentry  hailed  us  from  the 
deck.  I  shouted  that  I  had  come  to  see  the  Captain, 
but  he  told  us  to  stand  off.  Finally,  after  persist- 
ently hailing  the  warship,  the  officer  of  the  watch 
came  to  the  rail  and  held  parley  with  me. 

"  I  have  Imperial  orders  to  see  the  Captain,"  I 
shouted. 

Apparently  this  satisfied  him,  for  he  let  me  come 
on  board.  Without  further  delay  I  was  shown  into 
the  Captain's  room.  Very  important,  the  Captain. 
Picture  him,  a  man  in  the  forties,  straight-backed, 
rather  jolly,  and  with  one  of  those  German  naval 
beards.  The  slightest  mistake  by  the  Captain  of  the 
Panther  and  England  and  France  would  have  flung 
themselves  into  war  with  Germany.  He  stood  for  a 
moment  regarding  me,  then  he  said, 

"  Well,  what  is  this?  What  is  your  Wilhelmstrasse 
number?  " 

"  Seventeen,"  I  told  him. 

That  appeared  to  satisfy  the  Captain.  I  knew  that 
the  Wilhelmstrasse  had  wired  him  that  "  Number 
Seventeen  "  was  coming.  Still  he  was  careful. 

"  Where  were  your  first  instructions  received?  " 

"  From  Wedel." 

"Subsequently?" 

I  felt  him  looking  at  me  sharply. 

126 


"  Confirmed  by  the  Emperor,"  I  replied,  "  and  I 
deliver  you  herewith  the  following  message.  You  are 
requested  to  use  the  private  service  code  as  soon  as 
I  have  delivered  this  message  to  you  and  repeat  it  at 
once  direct  to  Count  Wedel." 

The  Captain  got  up  and,  moving  noiselessly  to  the 
door,  opened  it  swiftly.  There  was  no  one  about. 

"  All  right,"  he  said,  "  let  me  have  it." 

I  repeated  what  I  had  memorized,  what  the  Em- 
peror had  given  me  in  the  secret  chamber  and  im- 
mediately afterward  destroyed  all  visible  trace  of. 
I  said :  "  On  no  account,  it  does  not  matter  what 
official  commands  you  have  received  or  may  receive, 
are  you  to  use  open  force  when  the  Panther  goes  to 
Agidir.  No  matter  what  stress  is  brought  to  bear 
upon  you  by  arising  conditions,  no  matter  what  af- 
front may  be  done  your  code  of  naval  honor,  you  are 
under  no  circumstances  to  use  any  force  against 
France  or  England." 

Like  myself,  when  the  Emperor  gave  me  that  mes- 
sage, the  Captain  of  the  Panther  was  dumbfounded. 
It  was  a  direct  contradiction  of  the  official  orders 
he  had  received  from  the  Foreign  Office  to  go  to  Mo- 
rocco and  make  a  demonstration  against  the  French 
and  the  English  interests.  Those  previous  orders 
had  been  to  create  war,  this  verbal  message  was  to 
stop  war.  Could  the  German  "jingos,"  the  big  gun 
manufacturers,  the  shell  people,  the  army  and  navy 
men,  the  powerful  feudal  faction  have  heard  me  de- 
liver that  message  to  the  Captain  of  the  Panther, 

127 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GEKMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

they  would  have  bellowed  in  rage.  The  whole  em- 
pire wanted  war,  but  the  tired,  swarthy  faced  man 
in  the  little  underground  chamber  at  the  Wilhelni- 
strasse,  not  "  absolutely  absolute  "  as  he  is  popularly 
supposed  to  be,  deemed  it  wise  not  to  fly  in  the  face 
of  public  opinion  at  the  time  and  countermand  the 
official  orders  to  the  Panther.  So  he  had  done  so  in 
the  dark,  verbally,  by  me,  knowing  that  so  he  served 
the  best  interests  of  his  empire. 

The  rest  is  contemporary  history.  You  remember 
how,  on  Sunday  morning,  July  7,  the  Panther  steamed 
to  Morocco,  how  it  forced  its  way  into  the  harbor  of 
Agadir  and  created  an  international  sensation  by  re- 
maining there  more  than  two  weeks.  You  remem- 
ber how  a  French  and  an  English  warship  came  simul- 
taneously, how  they  formed  in  what  was  equivalent 
to  common  line  and  how,  with  officers  and  everybody 
itching  to  open  fire,  war  just  missed  being  precipi- 
tated. You  may  not  know  that  the  British  and 
French  officers  sent  an  ultimatum  to  the  Captain  of 
the  Panther.  Unless  he  left  Agadir  he  would  be 
forced  to  leave.  That  meant  war. 

Now,  had  the  Captain  of  the  Panther  not  received 
the  private  message  from  the  Emperor,  he  would  have 
been  forced  by  his  naval  code  to  resist  this  ultimatum 
by  force.  Had  he  gone  there  acting  under  the  origi- 
nal official  orders,  red  war  would  have  blazed  across 
in  Agadir  Harbor.  The  slightest  slip  would  have 
caused  it  —  the  report  of  a  rifle.  But  the  Panther 
steamed  away. 

128 


And  this  is  the  cleverest  part  of  the  Emperor's 
scheme;  he  knew  that  France  and  England  were 
allies,  he  didn't  know,  though,  just  how  sincere  this 
alliance  was.  By  sending  the  Panther  into  Agadir  he 
learned  that  the  entente  cordiale  really  meant  some- 
thing, that  England  and  France  were  allies,  that  they 
were  prepared  to  resist  Germany  shoulder  to  shoulder 
in  war.  It  took  a  master  stroke  to  bring  the  situa- 
tion up  to  the  point  of  war  —  for  it  was  a  dangerous 
business,  with  all  Germany  roaring  for  war  —  and 
then  avert  war  when  England  and  France  were  on 
the  verge  of  it.  But  with  his  verbal  message  the 
Emperor  shrewdly  accomplished  it.  The  results 
were  before  him.  By  creating  the  situation  he  knew 
that  he  had  two  powerful  nations  opposed  to  him. 
Good! 

What  he  would  do  now  would  be  to  try  to  take  one 
nation  and  secretly  ally  himself  with  it,  leaving  the 
other  out  in  the  cold.  Then  began  the  intrigues 
which  planned  the  isolation  of  France,  an  amazing 
situation,  a  bombshell  in  present  day  international 
diplomacy,  that  I  shall  discuss  fully  in  the  next 
chapter. 


129 


VIII 


AFTEE  my  experiences  with  the  earlier  stages  of 
the  French,  English,  and  German  situation,  I 
was  quite  prepared  for  the  most  unexpected  develop- 
ments. What  occurred  in  the  middle  of  October, 
1911,  was,  however,  beyond  what  I  had  imagined. 
The  Morocco  incident  had  shown  the  German  Em- 
peror that  the  entente  cordiale  was  indeed  solid. 
England  and  France  would  stand  shoulder  to  shoul« 
der  in  war.  Being  used  to  the  ways  of  German  di- 
plomacy, I  knew  that  from  the  Wilhelmstrasse  would 
come  a  quick  countermove.  I  guessed,  too,  that  when 
it  came  I  would  be  employed.  It  stood  to  reason  that, 
knowing  so  much  of  the  trend  and  importance  of  the 
affair  —  I  had  seen  the  intrigue  grow  step  by  step  — 
I  was  the  logical  choice. 

Nor  was  my  reasoning  at  fault.  I  soon  received 
the  expected  summons,  and  it  brought  me  into  the 
most  amazing  of  my  diplomatic  adventures  —  a  mis- 
sion which  showed  me  the  utter  ruthlessness  that 
characterizes  foreign  ministers,  particularly  when 
the  vital  interests  of  their  countries  are  concerned. 

Word  to  appear  at  the  Wilhelmstrasse  came  when 
the  autumn  holidays  were  in  full  swing.  The  usual 

130 


THE  ISOLATION  OF  FRANCE 


procedure  of  the  Foreign  Office  having  been  observed, 
I  found  myself  in  Count  von  WedeFs  private  study. 
After  an  invitation  to  be  seated,  the  Count  surprised 
me.  He  complimented  me  on  my  previous  missions 
on  the  entente  cordiale  situation,  and  handed  me  a 
pretty  substantial  check.  It  was  actually  10,000 
marks  —  f  2,500  —  which  the  stubs  of  the  royal  check 
book  will  show. 

As  I  took  the  money  he  remarked  "  Seine  Majestat " 
—  Foreign  Office  brevity  for  conveying  that  His  Maj- 
esty was  satisfied.  Without  more  ado,  von  Wedel 
plunged  into  the  subject.  Leaning  back  and  crossing 
his  legs,  he  began  to  talk  in  his  abrupt  way. 

"  I  want  you  to  go  with  his  Excellency,  Herr  von 
Kinderlen-Waechter,  as  his  private  attendant  and 
secretary,"  began  von  Wedel.  "  I  have  selected  you 
because  of  your  knowledge  of  English  and  your  in- 
sight into  the  whole  matter  in  hand.  There  is  to 
be  a  meeting  of  certain  statesmen  in  a  certain  spot 
in  the  range  of  the  Schwarzwald.  You  are  to 
be  the  sole  attendant  of  these  gentlemen.  You'll  see 
to  it  that  nothing  of  their  identity  becomes  known. 
You  will  look  after  them  in  every  way.  You  will 
destroy  all  writing,  such  as  paper  and  blotters.  You 
will  burn  any  such  things  in  the  presence  of  Herr  von 
Kinderlen-Waechter." 

He  paused  impressively,  and  I  found  my  mind  in 
a  whirl.  What  his  words  portended  I  could  guess. 
This  mission  promised  to  be  very  interesting  indeed. 

"  I  want  you  to  be  at  the  place  of  meeting,"  von 

131 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

Wedel  continued,  "  three  days  before  the  arrival  of 
these  gentlemen.  You  will  have  to  make  arrange- 
ments as  regards  catering  and  so  forth.  You'll  be 
the  only  attendant.  Means  have  been  taken  to  assure 
strict  privacy  in  the  district.  Understand  that  we 
want  this  to  be  thoroughly  cloaked.  I  suggest  to  you 
the  idea  of  a  hunting  party.  The  details  I  leave  to 
you.  The  gentlemen  in  question  may  or  may  not  be 
known  to  you.  I  shall  write  you  their  names." 

His  pen  began  scratching  across  a  piece  of  paper, 
and  I  had  a  moment  in  which  to  realize  the  grave 
importance  of  this  mission :  the  future  of  Germany 
menaced,  complete  isolation  was  in  the  making  be- 
tween England,  France,  and  Russia;  and  the  Kaiser 
was  about  to  save  Germany  by  a  master  stroke  of 
diplomacy.  Of  what  tremendous  importance  it  was, 
however,  I  did  not  learn  until  I  had  gone  down  into 
the  forest. 

Looking  up,  von  Wedel  tossed  a  piece  of  paper 
across  the  desk  to  me  (the  identical  paper  which 
has  been  reproduced  in  connection  with  this  article). 
It  bore  these  names  in  his  handwriting : 

Viscount  Haldane,  Winston  Spencer  Churchill,  Ad- 
miral von  Tirpitz,  General  von  Heeringen,  General 
Moritz  Eitter  von  Auffenberg,  Herr  von  Kinderlen- 
Waechter. 

I  suppose,  had  it  been  my  first  Secret  Service  mis- 
sion instead  of  the  climax  of  eleven  years  in  the 
service,  I  could  not  have  controlled  my  surprise. 
These  men,  all  meeting  in  a  lonely  spot  in  Taunus 

132 


THE  ISOLATION  OF  FRANCE 


Hills  region,  foretold  a  grave  situation.  Especially 
was  this  true  in  view  of  the  newspapers  of  Europe. 
Here  was  all  the  jfress  having  Germany  and  England 
ready  to  rush  at  each  other's  throats  in  war.  It  was 
the  time  of  the  German  spy  scare  in  England.  And 
now  here  were  the  two  powerful  members  of  the  Eng- 
lish Cabinet  meeting  the  Kaiser's  Minister  of  War 
secretly. 

I  also  knew  of  a  secret  visit  Churchill  and  Haldane 
had  made  at  the  Foreign  Office's  invitation.  Signifi- 
cantly these  English  diplomats  had  been  shown  cer- 
tain of  Germany's  preparations  for  war,  notably  war 
in  the  sky. 

But  von  Wedel  was  not  yet  through. 

"  These  gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  will  meet  at  Schlan- 
genbad  about  the  middle  of  this  month.  You  know 
thje  place,  in  the  Taunus  Hills  —  one  of  the  Emperor's 
hunting  lodges.  I  suggest  that  you  get  down  there 
to-morrow  and  have  everything  ready.  You  thor- 
oughly know  what  is  required  of  you,  Doctor?  " 

On  my  assenting  I  was  dismissed.  I  lost  no  time 
in  getting  home  to  my  quarters  and  into  comfortable 
togs.  This  mission  needed  some  thinking  out.  And 
after  I  told  my  Basuto  boy  to  pack  my  bag,  I  glanced 
again  at  the  list  von  Wedel  had  given  me. 

Haldane,  Lord  Chancellor  of  England,  persona 
grata  with  the  Kaiser  —  in  fact,  a  personal  friend. 
Churchill,  First  Lord  of  the  British  Admiralty. 
Waechter,  the  German  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs 
and,  despite  court  opposition,  the  trusted  man  of  the 

133 


THE  SECKETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

Kaiser.  Tirpitz  and  von  Heeringen,  chiefs  of  the 
German  navy  and  army  staffs,  the  latter  a  second 
Moltke.  When  I  came  to  von  Auffenberg's  name  I 
whistled.  Von  Auffenberg  was  Minister  of  War  and 
the  right-hand  man  of  the  Chancellor  of  the  Austrian 
Empire.  Thus  three  great  powers  were  represented. 
Six  men  of  this  eminence,  the  brains  and  force  of 
three  nations,  to  meet  in  secret  in  a  little  obscure  hunt- 
ing lodge  in  the  forest!  It  portended  darkly  for 
France;  but  how  darkly  I  could  not  then  conjecture. 
It  interested  me  tremendously,  but  I  consoled  myself 
that  I  would  probably  know  all  when  the  party 
gathered  in  that  secluded  hunting  lodge. 

According  to  instructions,  I  presented  myself  early 
next  morning  at  the  residence  of  Herr  von  Kinderlen- 
Waechter.  It  was  in  the  Thiergartenstrasse.  With- 
out delay  I  was  shown  into  his  Excellency's  room. 
He  was  seated  at  his  desk,  and  while  we  exchanged 
a  few  perfunctory  words  I  permitted  myself  a  mo- 
ment's brief  conjecture. 

Judging  from  appearances,  you  would  never  have 
taken  this  portly,  rubicund,  iron-gray,  bushy-browed 
gentleman  for  a  statesman.  But  a  statesman  he  was 
for  all  that,  and  the  Emperor  and  Germany  miss 
him  sorely.  I  would  have  taken  him  for  a  Boer  Dop- 
per  or  an  English  yeoman.  This  suggestion  was  sup- 
ported by  his  atrocious  taste  in  fancy  waistcoats. 
The  one  he  had  on  still  sticks  in  my  memory.  It  was 
a  lurid  peach-blossom  creation,  spotted  with  green. 
But  once  his  steel-gray,  deerhound  eyes  looked  you  up 

134 


J&ft&u 

/ 


'Looking  up  von  Wedel  tossed  a  piece  of  paper  across  the 
desk  to  me.     It   bore  these  names  in  his  handwriting." 


THE  ISOLATION  OF  PRANCE 


and  down  you  forgot  all  about  the  fancy  waistcoat 
and  got  right  down  to  business.  I  told  his  Excellency 
I  had  come  for  his  personal  instructions. 

Besides  telling  me  to  "  halt  my  maul "  ( a  German 
military  expression  literally  meaning  to  keep  your 
mouth  shut,  but  implying  the  need  for  utmost  secrecy) 
he  gave  me  certain  general  instructions.  But  from 
them  I  could  gain  no  idea  of  just  what  was  going  to 
happen.  I  could  only  guess.  How  big  was  the 
gathering  storm  he  never  even  hinted. 

Remembering  von  Wedel's  suggestion  about  the 
hunting  party,  I  procured  some  guns  and  reached 
the  station  in  time  to  catch  the  12.30  express  for 
Schlangenbad. 

It  was  early  in  October  when  I  went  to  the  Kur 
Hotel  and  registered  as  Herr  Bamberger  from  Ber- 
lin. If  you  ever  go  to  Schlangenbad,  look  up  the 
register.  Schlangenbad  is  a  mineral  watering  place 
in  Prussia,  near  the  Black  Forest,  and  within  easy 
distance  of  our  ultimate  meeting  place,  the  hunting 
lodge  that  von  Wedel  had  mentioned. 

I  was  alone  at  the  hotel  for  several  days.  Then, 
traveling  incognito,  the  dignitaries  began  to  drift  in. 
First  came  the  Austrian,  General  Moritz  Ritter  von 
Auffenberg.  A  distinguished,  quiet,  unassuming  gen- 
tleman, he  is  known  to  be  high  in  the  confidence  of 
Francis  Joseph.  I  found  the  War  Minister  very  fond 
of  salmon  fishing,  and  got  quite  into  his  good  graces 
by  enthusiastic  tales  of  fly  fishing  in  New  Zealand. 

Admiral  von  Tirpitz  and  General  von  Heeringen 

135 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

came  next.  The  Admiral  is  typical  of  the  German 
sailor,  a  big  man,  six  feet,  wide  of  shoulder,  blue- 
eyed,  and  full  bearded.  His  manner  I  found  genial 
and  courteous.  His  exact  opposite  was  von  Heerin- 
gen,  thin,  almost  crooked  of  body,  stoop  shouldered, 
unusually  taciturn,  and  possessing  deep-sunken, 
smoldering  black  eyes.  He  struck  me  as  an  animated 
mummy  of  the  Kameses  dynasty  —  come  to  think  of 
it,  he  much  resembles  Eameses  II. 

The  exact  date  of  the  meeting,  as  I  recall  it,  was 
October  12,  and  the  place  a  shooting  lodge,  named 
Ehrenkrug.  On  the  morning  of  the  twelfth  I  hired 
a  vehicle  and,  loading  provisions,  wine,  and  other 
necessaries  aboard,  drove  to  the  lodge,  sixteen  miles 
into  the  forest. 

No  farmhouse  or  other  human  habitation  was  within 
a  radius  of  several  miles.  It  was  a  large  stone  and 
brick  building,  somewhat  similar  to  your  colonial 
style.  It  had  five  or  six  guest  rooms,  a  large  general 
meeting  hall,  and  a  morning  room.  It  being  the  prop- 
erty of  the  royal  family,  I  found  two  old  pensioners 
of  the  Imperial  Forest  Service  in  charge.  They  had 
a  good  fire  going  in  the  grate,  which  was  welcome,  for 
it  was  still  a  little  damp  and  chilly,  especially  in  this 
wet  mountain  forest. 

Patroling  both  ends  of  the  road  were  a  number 
of  gendarmes.  They  were  scattered  through  the 
woods,  too,  forming  a  cordon  through  which  no  one 
could  come.  Indeed,  they  had  challenged  me.  About 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  German  and  Aus- 

136 


THE  ISOLATION  OF  FRANCE 


trian  envoys  came  out  from  the  hotel,  and  at  a  quarter 
to  four  ( I  remember  Waechter  remarking  "  They're 
three-quarters  of  an  hour  late !  " )  the  chug  of  a  motor 
announced  the  others,  Lord  Haldane  and  Winston 
Churchill. 

I  had  never  happened  to  meet  Haldane  before,  and 
I  found  him  the  English  gentleman  personified  — 
polished  and  reserved.  Yet  his  reserve,  tempered 
by  age,  blended  into  a  genial  mellowness.  The  usual 
English  arrogance  had  evidently  been  subdued  by  rea- 
son of  his  training  and  cosmopolitan  knowledge.  In 
speech  and  action  he  was  a  Chesterfield,  but  in  appear- 
ance he  was  not  unlike  a  canon  or  a  bishop,  a  little 
ascetic  looking,  and  rather  bald. 

Quite  the  other  type  of  Anglo-Saxon,  still  boyish 
in  looks,  high-strung  and  nervous,  erratic  in  speech 
and  action,  just  a  bit  self-conscious,  Winston  Churchill 
was  the  youngest  member  of  this  remarkable  gather- 
ing. I  had  met  him  during  the  Boer  War,  and  as  he 
took  off  his  motoring  coat  he  looked  at  me  closely. 

"  I  believe  I've  seen  you  before,"  he  said. 

"  I  met  the  right  honorable  gentleman  in  the  Bloem- 
fontein  Field  Hospital  during  the  war." 

"Ah,  yes,"  said  Churchill,  his  face  lighting  up. 

He  had  had  his  wound  dressed  there;  his  recogni- 
tion showed  his  remarkable  memory. 

After  refreshments  the  envoys  immediately  ad- 
journed to  the  big  morning  room,  and  I  was  posted 
outside  to  see  that  no  gendarme  or  forest  pensioner 
came  within  earshot.  I  was  not  present  at  the  begin- 

137 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

ning  of  the  conference,  but  after  an  hour  had  passed 
I  was  summoned.  My  first  impression  as  I  opened 
the  door  was  of  an  air  of  tenseness.  It  was  obvious 
in  the  way  Churchill  was  staring  across  the  table  at 
Haldane.  It  was  an  ordinary  large  German  oak  din- 
ing-room table,  and  in  the  middle  were  two  big  shaded 
lamps.  It  was  growing  dusk,  and  after  lighting  the 
lamps,  I  backed  away  to  a  corner  of  the  room.  I  had 
a  distinct  impression  of  the  features  of  the  six  men 
who  were  making  history  round  that  table.  There 
were  writing  materials,  stacks  of  paper,  and  docu- 
ments at  every  place.  Sheets  and  sheets  of  paper 
were  covered  with  their  handwriting.  Only  in  front 
of  von  Heeringen  were  the  sheets  blank,  for  he  never 
makes  a  note  of  anything,  carrying  everything  in  his 
marvelous  memory. 

Obviously  what  were  the  last  words  of  a  speech 
came  from  Moritz,  the  Austrian,  as  I  entered :  "  And 
to  make  this  all  possible,"  he  was  saying,  "  we  must 
break  the  Kussian  Federation  in  the  Balkans." 

From  his  place  at  the  head  of  the  table  the  iron- 
gray-haired  Kinderlen-Waechter  rose  slowly.  I  no- 
ticed he  wore  another  of  those  atrocious  vests.  Turn- 
ing on  his  left  he  gazed  at  Churchill  and  Tirpitz ; 
his  careful  measuring  eyes  then  met  Moritz,  an  ex- 
pectant, slightly  nervous  figure  at  the  other  end  of  the 
table  awaiting  the  reply  to  the  point  he  had  raised. 
And  Waechter's  eyes  turned  from  him  to  Heeringen, 
to  Haldane ;  then  he  spoke.  I  recall  distinctly  the  im- 
port of  his  remarks. 

138 


THE  ISOLATION  OF  FRANCE 


"  Gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  the  point  raised  by  General 
Moritz  must  stand,  and,  of  course,  it  needs  the  sanc- 
tion of  our  respective  heads.  As  Lord  Haldane  has 
pointed  out,  it  does  complicate  matters  to  some  extent. 
The  Balkans  concern  Austria  most;  to  my  way  of 
thinking  it  is  quite  within  reason  to  accede  this  point. 
[As  I  write  I  recall  vividly  how  grave  they  had  all 
become.  They  knew  what  this  meant  —  war  in  the 
Balkans.]  On  all  main  points,"  said  Kinderlen- 
Waechter,  "  we  are  agreed.  As  indicated  by  his  Im- 
perial Majesty,  the  primary  reason  of  our  meeting  is 
to  come  to  a  tacit  understanding  in  regard  to  technical 
details.  This  we  have  done.  It  is  unfortunate,  how- 
ever, that  this  possible  phase,  the  Balkan  point,  has 
not  been  gone  into  before.  I  suggest  that  we  adjourn, 
to  inform  our  respective  Governments  of  this  point. 
If  necessary,  we  will  meet  again  on  Wednesday." 

This  second  meeting,  by  the  way,  was  not  necessary, 
all  the  Governments  represented  tentatively  agreeing 
with  Austria.  The  treaty,  however,  was  subject  to 
signatures  and  if  it  was  officially  closed,  I  cannot 
tell. 

Apparently  the  conference  was  at  an  end.  But 
what  had  they  accomplished?  From  the  general  tenor 
of  their  conversation  it  was  obvious  that  they  all 
agreed.  But  what  were  the  terms  of  their  bargain? 
Presently  I  was  to  know. 

"  Bamberger,"  said  Kinderlen-Waechter,  addressing 
me  by  the  name  I  had  taken,  "  gather  up  any  pieces 
of  paper  on  the  table  and  consign  them  to  the  fire." 

139 


I  replied :  "  Yes,  sir."  Then  turning  to  the  others, 
he  continued : 

"  Gentlemen,  select  the  memoranda  you  wish  to 
keep.  The  rest  is  going  to  be  destroyed  immediately." 

While  they  ran  over  their  papers,  saving  necessary 
scraps,  I  stood  back  from  the  table.  It  was  character- 
istic of  the  men  that  Winston  Churchill  should  have 
taken  the  most  voluminous  notes,  while  Heeringen 
had  not  put  down  a  line.  I  then  gathered  up  every 
scrap  of  paper  left  on  the  table  —  blotters,  little 
note  pads,  foolscap  —  used  or  unused.  Everything 
was  to  go  into  the  fire. 

I  went  about  this  slowly  and  deliberately,  taking 
care  to  glance  at  everything  before  I  carried  it  over 
to  the  grate.  I  wanted  to  make  sure  that  nothing 
of  value  was  destroyed.  Here  and  there  came  a  good 
chance  to  read  some  of  the  contents.  Piece  by  piece 
from  the  memoranda  the  different  men  had  made,  al- 
ways being  careful  not  to  confuse  individual  notes, 
thus  learning  one  by  one  their  train  of  thought,  the 
thing  began  to  piece  itself  together  for  me.  There 
were  extensive  notes  on  army  and  navy  matters. 
Churchill,  for  instance,  had  carefully  noted  the  full 
strength  that  Austria  and  Germany  could  muster  in 
case  of  war.  Kinderlen-Waechter  had  recorded  the  full 
strength  of  England  and  Austria  as  given  by  Churchill 
and  Moritz.  So  had  Moritz  taken  down  German  and 
English  statistics.  Obviously  it  was  a  triangular  al- 
liance, each  noting  to  what  extent  dependence  could 
be  placed  upon  the  other.  Then  there  were  data 

140 


THE  ISOLATION  OF  FEANCE 


on  the  French  and  Russian  armies  and  navies.  The 
significance  of  that  was  apparent.  What  puzzled  me, 
however,  were  numerous  statistics  on  Holland  and 
Belgium. 

Not  until  Kinderlen-Waechter  and  Churchill,  squat- 
ting down  by  the  fireplace  and  poking  the  burning 
papers  with  old-fashioned  irons,  not  until  then,  when 
there  began  a  conversation  and  other  pairs  conversed 
on  certain  points  all  around  the  room,  did  I  gain  a 
clear  idea  of  just  what  had  happened.  What  they 
said,  the  vital  scraps  of  their  conversation  as  they 
drifted  to  me  while  I  moved  to  and  from  the  table 
and  fireplace,  I  shall  now  present  as  close  to  the  words 
of  the  men  involved  as  I  am  able. 

Heeringen,  who  had  drawn  Haldane  aside,  said: 
"  We  are  ready  at  any  time  with  3,500,000  men  with- 
out any  further  straining  of  our  reserves.  According 
to  our  latest  agreement  Austria  will  support  us  with 
2,000,000  more  men.  The  financial  aspect  of  this  is, 
of  course,  out  of  my  hands." 

Haldane  mumbled  something  that  sounded  like 
"  that  is  very  satisfactory."  At  any  rate,  he  nodded 
an  affirmative. 

By  this  time  the  positions  had  changed  somewhat, 
and  Churchill  drew  Tirpitz  aside.  Churchill  spoke 
German  only  indifferently,  so  they  conversed  in 
French  and  partly  in  English.  I  heard  Tirpitz  say: 

"  We  could  bottle  up  the  Baltic  in  twelve  hours. 
Eussia  would  not  have  a  chance  to  stir.  Of  course, 
in  the  event  of  any  outside  situation  arising,  we  shall 

141 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

look  to  England  to  take  care  of  such  new  conditions. 
That  seems  to  rest  clearly  with  your  navy." 

Churchill  became  a  little  cautious. 

"  There  is  a  certain  contingency  that  might  arise," 
he  said.  "  Suppose,  under  stress  of  circumstances 
the  United  States  should  take  a  definite  stand  against 
us  in  this  matter?  " 

The  reply  of  the  Admiral  was  the  very  expressive 
German  word  —  Quatsch!  He  further  intimated 
that  the  United  States  was  so  interested  in  its  own 
internal  affairs  that  it  would  not  be  drawn  into  the 
question,  and  that  in  any  event  its  navy  would  be 
needed  for  its  own  immediate  protection.  He  had  a 
disposition,  however,  to  put  the  entire  situation  up  to 
Churchill. 

Kinderlen-Waechter  and  Moritz  were  deep  in  the 
Balkan  question,  and  I  sensed  then  the  coming  Bal- 
kan imbroglio. 

"  Without  doubt,"  Moritz  said,  "  we  will  bring  that 
to  an  issue  within  a  few  months."  I  knew  he  meant 
that  Austria  would  precipitate  the  Balkan  question. 
Kinderlen-Waechter  was  serious. 

"  It  has  got  to  be  done." 

There  were  other  snatches,  all  bearing  on  the  same 
subject,  and  gradually  the  situation  began  to  clarify 
in  my  mind.  It  was  not,  however,  until  I  had  noted 
the  contents  of  certain  documents  before  destroying 
them  that  the  tremendous  importance  of  the  big 
stakes  they  were  all  playing  for  became  apparent. 
What  I  shall  now  do  is  to  reveal  the  substance  of  these 

142 


THE  ISOLATION  OF  FRANCE 


documents,  coupling  them  with  overheard  conversa- 
tion, thus  interpreting  the  full  significance  of  the  con- 
ference. 

Within  the  last  twenty-five  years  Germany  has  so 
enormously  advanced  in  commerce  that  she  urgently 
needs  some  further  outlet  on  a  northern  seacoast. 
This  means  Holland  and  Belgium.  Hamburg  and 
Bremen  are  the  only  two  practical  harbors  that  Ger- 
many possesses  for  the  distribution  of  her  enormous 
export.  The  congestion  in  both  places  is  such  that 
steamers  wait  for  weeks  to  load.  One-quarter  of 
Germany's  exports  goes  through  Antwerp.  Germany 
must  have  Antwerp.  Practically  the  whole  of  south- 
ern Germany's  commerce,  especially  along  the  Rhine 
and  the  highway  of  the  Ehine,  pours  into  a  foreign 
country  at  present.  Germany  must  have  Antwerp  — 
in  fact,  the  whole  coast,  Amsterdam  and  Rotterdam 
included. 

The  empire  wants  harbors,  not  colonies.  The  col- 
onizing idea  is  a  fallacy.  Germany  is,  first  and  last, 
a  manufacturing  country.  It  never  was  and  never 
will  be,  for  a  long  time  to  come,  a  successful  colonizer. 
At  present  all  that  Germany  wants  is  markets,  and 
facilities  for  extending  her  markets.  These  markets 
Germany  will  always  be  able  to  command  because  of 
her  intense  scientific  application  to  all  branches  of 
manufacture.  But  these  products  need  outlets. 
Germany  is  quite  willing  to  let  the  others  colonize  so 
long  as  she  has  a  chance  to  get  her  goods  in.  So 
much  for  the  German  situation. 

143 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

England,  in  her  vast  oversea  domains  and  posses- 
sions, wants  rounding  up.  England  has  not  been 
able  in  the  past,  and  certainly  is  not  at  present  able, 
to  supply  herself  and  her  colonies.  In  Germany  she 
has  a  first-class  workman.  Germany  manufactures 
what  England  needs.  Germany's  building  of  her 
navy  was  never  meant  as  a  real  menace  to  Great 
Britain.  It  was  solely  a  means  to  impress  the  Eng- 
lish that  Germany  would  make  a  powerful  and  valu- 
able ally  in  every  shape  and  form.  Conversely,  it 
was  a  threat  that  she  would  be  a  dangerous  opponent. 
This  is  clearly  understood  in  the  English  and  German 
Cabinets.  Public  opinion  is  being  rapidly  educated 
up  to  this  in  both  countries.  All  the  war-scare  talk 
between  Germany  and  England  has  been  and  is  only 
a  means  to  an  end.  The  end  is  to  throw  dust  in  the 
eyes  of  the  rest  of  the  world.  Germany  and  Eng- 
land will  never  willingly  war.  Destruction  of  one 
would  mean  the  destruction  of  the  other.  They  are 
too  equally  powerful  to  be  able  to  fight  each  other; 
their  real  interests  run  too  close  together.  Indeed, 
they  are  mutual.  Germany  manufactures,  England 
uses.  Only  a  miracle  would  separate  them. 

Shoulder  to  shoulder,  Germany  and  England  (Ger- 
many, of  course,  including  Austria,  and  possibly 
Italy)  could  dictate  to  the  rest  of  the  world.  There 
is  one  stumbling-block.  This  is  France. 

Well-informed  Frenchmen  have  known  and  feared 
this  for  a  long  time.  They  have,  of  course,  never 
mentioned  it  in  public.  Shrewd  French  statesmen 

144 


THE  ISOLATION  OF  FRANCE 


have  long  kept  it  in  the  seclusion  of  their  own  minds. 
It  would  be  political  and  possibly  physical  death 
openly  to  assert  that  France  is  doomed.  But  doomed 
she  is. 

With  all  her  gallantry,  hysterical  patriotism,  and 
wealth,  she  would  never  be  able  to  hold  out  against 
Germany  alone.  Her  attempts  at  alliances  have  been 
frenzied.  To  secure  Russia's  friendship  she  has 
loaned  enormous  sums  of  money.  But  the  Japanese 
war  and  internal  troubles  have  eliminated  Russia 
as  a  high-class  ally.  She  was  at  the  time  of  the 
Black  Forest  conference  but  a  secondary  power.  She 
is  to-day  balanced  by  Turkey  and  Austria.  The  Bal- 
kan States  are  smashed.  So  France  did  her  utmost 
to  solidify  the  entente  cordiale  fostered  by  the  late 
King  Edward  VII  under  the  stress  of  public  opinion 
in  England. 

To  what  extent  she  met  success  we  have  seen.  The 
Moroccan  question  showed  England  ready  to  back 
up  France  in  war,  but  now  comes  this  meeting  in  the 
Black  Forest.  Germany  has  shown  England  the 
greater  advantage  of  a  German-English  coalition,  and 
France  is  frozen  out.  England,  with  her  shrewd 
alertness  to  make  the  most  profitable  deal,  enter- 
tained if  did  not  close  the  German  proposition.  In 
a  nutshell,  it  is  this: 

Germany  must  have  the  lowland  ports.  Holland 
is  not  adverse  to  coming  into  the  German  Federa- 
tion. Belgium  is  adverse,  but  could  be  snuffed  out 
as  easily  as  a  candle.  But  French  public  opinion 

145 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

would  never  tolerate  under  any  circumstances  this 
German  aggression.  France  would  fight,  even  though 
knowing  it  to  be  a  losing  fight.  If  only  she  would 
let  Germany  have  what  she  wants,  there  would  be 
no  war.  But  the  French  temperament,  public  opin- 
ion, years  of  decorating  with  flowers  that  Alsace- 
Lorraine  symbol,  the  Strasbourg  statue  in  Paris,  have 
not  been  conducive  to  fostering  a  submissive  spirit 
in  France.  To  resent  Germany's  inevitable  aggres- 
sion is  equally  inevitable. 

So  much  for  what  Germany  gets  out  of  it.  Aus- 
tria wants  to  round  up  her  empire  in  the  Balkans. 
Austria  has  to  have  outlets  in  the  Mediterranean. 
England,  if  she  stands  by  Germany,  will  be  rewarded 
with  French  Northern  Africa  and  the  Dutch  East 
India  possessions.  What  will  become  of  France? 
Eeconstruction,  partitioning,  possibly  a  little  king- 
dom, probably  under  the  Orleans  regime.  France  is 
in  the  lap  of  the  gods.  I  know  these  things,  for  I 
possess  them  in  black  and  white. 


146 


IX 
IN  THE  BALKAN  COUNTRY 

AFTER  my  mission  in  the  Black  Forest,  I  went 
to  Albeck,  a  well-known  seaside  resort  on  the 
Baltic.  For  more  than  a  year  the  gentlemen  at  the 
Wilhelmstrasse  had  kept  me  on  the  run,  and  a  vaca- 
tion at  Albeck  —  much  like  your  Atlantic  City  only 
smaller  —  was  not  only  welcomed  but  needed.  I  was 
just  settling  down  to  a  period  of  quiet  in  and  around 
the  Kurhaus  when  there  came  a  wire  for  my  attend- 
ance at  the  Wilhelmstrasse.  "At  your  earliest  con- 
venience "  was  the  phrase  which,  of  course,  meant  at 
once.  Germany's  language  to  her  Secret  Agents  is 
always  polite. 

I  am  very  frank  to  confess  that  the  message  put  me  a 
little  out  of  sorts.  All  my  plans  for  resting  at  Al- 
beck went  to  smash.  I  knew  that  something  big  must 
be  in  the  air  else  I  would  never  have  been  recalled 
from  a  vacation  that  was  only  beginning.  Wiring 
a  reply  I  stated  that  I  would  arrive  in  Berlin  on  the 
7.30  train  and  that  any  further  commands  would  re- 
ceive attention  at  my  standing  quarters  in  the  Mittel- 
strasse.  In  a  few  hours  I  had  caught  a  train  and  was 
being  whirled  south. 

During  the  three-hour  run  I  speculated  on  what 

147 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

was  likely  to  be  required  from  me.  An  inside  rumor 
then  current  among  us  Secret  Service  men  gave  me 
the  clew.  I  marshaled  past  events  and  ran  them  over 
in  my  mind.  I  knew  that  the  Kaiser's  diplomatic 
master  stroke  undermining  the  entente  cordiale 
and  tentatively  holding  off  Great  Britain,  left  the  way 
clear  for  the  execution  of  Austro-German  policies  in 
the  Balkans. 

As  the  express  hurried  me  toward  Berlin,  I  reflected 
that  since  the  Russian-Japanese  War,  Russia,  weak- 
ened as  she  was,  felt  her  influence  in  European  affairs 
waning.  I  knew  it  was  about  time  for  her  to  make 
a  desperate  effort  to  regain  European  prestige.  I 
recalled  that  upon  Russia's  plight  after  the  Japanese 
war,  Austria  immediately  annexed  Herzegovina  and 
Bosnia.  She  did  this  with  the  tacit  understanding 
and  backing  up  of  Germany.  I  knew  that  as  a  re- 
sult of  this,  Russia  was  again  at  work  in  the  Balkans. 
Greeks,  Servians,  Bulgarians,  and  Montenegrins,  up 
till  now  suicidal  enemies,  were  arriving  at  an  under- 
standing. There  are  as  many  differences  of  nation- 
alities, castes  and  opinions  in  the  Balkans  as  there 
are  in  India  and  it  took  clever  manipulation,  much 
money,  and  strenuous  efforts  on  the  part  of  Russia 
to  unite  these  countries  under  Russian  influence. 
The  visit  of  the  Crown  Prince  of  Servia  to  Sofia,  the 
Bulgarian  capital,  was  engineered  by  Russia,  and  was 
a  triumphant  success  in  bringing  about  an  under- 
standing between  Bulgaria  and  Servia.  It  absolutely 
unified  Servia  and  Bulgaria.  Why  then  the  com- 

148 


IN  THE  BALKAN  COUNTRY 


pletely  changed  attitude  of  Servia  and  Bulgaria  after 
their  mutal  successes  against  the  Turk?  Presently 
I  shall  show  you  the  vast  undercurrent  forces  for- 
ever moving  beneath  the  Balkan  situation. 

I  recalled  having  heard  high  Servian  officials  spec- 
ulate as  to  their  chances  of  reviving  the  ancient  em- 
pire, so  with  the  Bulgarians.  After  the  reunion  of 
Wallachia  and  Moldadia,  I  heard  Roumanian  officials 
express  the  wish  to  gain  Dacia  through  the  addition 
of  Transylvania,  Bukovina  and  the  Banate  of  Ternes- 
var.  This  longing  can  easily  be  understood  when 
one  remembers  that  each  of  these  States  maintains 
royal  court  legations  and  an  army  the  quality  of 
which  in  the  case  of  the  Allies  has  just  been  tested 
and  shown  in  their  splendid  fighting  and  sacrifices, 
but  which  is  all  out  of  proportion  to  their  individual 
sizes  and  resources. 

I  knew  there  were  armies  mobilizing  in  the  Balkans 
at  a  high  mark  of  efficiency.  They  were  equipped  in 
a  way  totally  beyond  the  means  of  such  little  coun- 
tries. Who  was  supplying  this  driving  force,  the 
money,  officers?  They  were  but  pawns,  the  Balkan 
States  on  an  international  chessboard. 

Now  before  I  relate  my  mission,  consider  these  test 
points:  The  alliance  of  States  usually  hereditary 
enemies ;  the  downfall  of  an  empire,  a  background  of 
the  world's  powers  pulling  the  strings;  the  success 
of  the  Balkan  Allies.  Then  the  most  amazing  part 
of  it  all.  Turkey,  well  thrashed,  lost  little  save 
a  few  islands  in  the  ^Egean  Sea,  some  of  which  it  has 

149 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

already  regained.  The  Allies  gained  nothing  but 
debts  —  debts  and  empty  honor  which  leaves  them 
so  exhausted  that  they  can  be  no  real  factor  in  the 
world's  politics  for  decades  to  come  —  and  there  lies 
the  key. 

Arriving  in  Berlin  I  made  my  way  to  my  quarters 
in  the  Mittelstrasse.  It  was  about  eight  o'clock  when 
I  put  my  key  in  the  door.  I  found  Kim  very  much 
awake  and  somewhat  excited.  At  this  unseemly  hour 
there  was  a  visitor!  This  was  all  the  more  unusual 
for  I  was  not  in  the  habit  of  receiving  my  most  inti- 
mate friends  or  acquaintances  at  my  private  quar- 
ters. 

"  Koom,  massa !  "  ( Salute,  master ! )  "  Gentle- 
man him  here  to  see  you.  Kim  him  don't  know  if 
he  do  right,  maybe  wrong;  but  gentleman  said  it  all 
right  that  him  come  in." 

All  apologies,  Kim  was  fretting  himself  almost  into 
a  nervous  collapse  over  the  visitor.  Rather  curious, 
I  walked  into  the  sitting-room  and  found  a  man  I 
had  seen  pretty  often  at  the  Wilhelmstrasse.  I  knew 
him  to  be  Herr  von  Stammer,  the  right  hand  man  of 
von  Wedel.  Although  we  were  well  known  to  each 
other  by  sight,  we  hardly  conversed  ten  words  outside 
of  official  business.  At  the  time  I  thought  it  a  little 
odd  that  the  usual  procedure  was  not  observed,  that 
someone  came  to  my  room  instead  of  my  going  to  the 
Wilhelmstrasse,  seemed  a  bit  unusual.  As  things  de- 
veloped, however,  I  saw  a  possible  reason  why. 

150 


IN  THE  BALKAN  COUNTRY 


"  Your  quarters  are  pretty  well  guarded  here,  Doc- 
tor," said  Herr  von  Stammer.  "  Your  Cerberus 
didn't  want  to  let  me  in." 

I  half  smiled.  I  could  imagine  what  a  battle  a 
stranger  must  have  to  get  by  Kim. 

"  We  received  your  wire  from  Albeck  and  as  the 
Count  is  inaccessible,  your  orders  will  come  through 
me  this  time." 

There  was  an  interruption,  for  Kim  had  appeared 
with  cigarettes. 

"  The  Count,"  continued  von  Stammer,  driving  di- 
rect to  the  point,  "  wishes  you  to  go  to  Belgrade  and 
get  in  close  touch  with  existing  conditions  there.  We 
wish  you  to  ascertain  the  undercurrent  situation. 
The  official  status  is,  of  course,  well  known  to  us. 
But  we  want  definitely  to  find  out  just  how  far  Bus- 
sian  influences  are  at  work  in  Bucharest  and  Sofia, 
just  how  far  they  have  progressed  and  how  far  they 
are  prepared  to  go  in  this  Balkan  affair.  If  you  can- 
not get  in  Belgrade  the  wanted  information  —  and 
absolute  accuracy  is  imperative  —  go  to  the  Bulgar- 
ian capital.  But  —  and  this  is  important  —  no  time 
must  be  lost.  A  definite  insight  into  the  inner  work- 
ings of  the  situation  must  be  in  my  hands  at  the  ear- 
liest possible  moment." 

Here  indeed  was  a  task. 

"  Understand,"  continued  von  Stammer,  "  you  will 
have  the  assistance  in  this  case  of  Austrian  Secret 
employees.  But,  as  I  need  not  point  out  to  you,  it 
is  inadvisable  to  take  any  of  them  with  you,  as  all 

151 


THE  SECEETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

the  Austrian  agents  are  known  to  the  Russian  agents 
down  in  the  Balkans.  I  suggest  that  you  stop  at 
Budapest  and  get  all  connecting  links  of  possible  help 
to  you.  You  will  obtain  these  from  Kasimir  Kowal- 
sky,  an  Austrian  agent  whom  you  will  find  at  Donau- 
strasse  24.  By  the  way,  do  you  know  him?  " 

I  said  no. 

"  In  this  case,"  went  on  von  Stammer,  "  I  shall  give 
instructions  to  facilitate  matters.  It  is  necessary  for 
you  to  have  passports.  Have  you  any  reason  to  fear 
your  previous  mission  to  the  Balkans?  " 

He  referred  to  that  incident  in  1903,  current  with 
the  assassination  of  King  Alexander  and  Queen  Draga 
of  Servia —  an  incident  I  don't  like  to  think  of,  for 
it  landed  me  on  a  blank  wall  looking  into  six  ugly 
Mauser  tubes,  as  you  will  recall  from  a  previous  chap- 
ter. 

I  considered  that  there  were  only  two  men  in  the 
Balkans  who  could  have  placed  me  from  the  1903  in- 
cident. One  Colonel  Mglitch  was  dead,  slain  at  the 
time  of  the  Alexander  assassination;  the  other  was 
Stamboul  and  he  was  no  doubt  moving  in  the  circles 
where  my  mission  would  take  me.  Were  I  to  meet 
him  it  would  mean  recognition,  a  possible  knife  in  the 
back.  No,  I  was  in  no  way  keen  to  undertake  this 
mission.  My  previous  experience  in  the  Balkans  and 
all  that  ilk  had  given  me  a  thorough  distaste  of  the 
people  there.  There  is  no  mixture  of  races  so  dan- 
gerous. Nearly  every  man  is  for  a  small  sum  a  traitor 
and  potential  assassin.  I  had  had  a  taste  of  their 

152 


IN  THE  BALKAN  COUNTRY 


methods  and  I  didn't  want  another.  Von  Stammer 
must  have  noticed  my  hesitation,  for  he  grinned  and 
said: 

"  Nervous  about  it?  " 

I  frankly  was.     I  told  him  so. 

"Yes,  I  understand  your  attitude."  [I  had  been 
on  the  go  for  over  five  months  solid  and  I  wanted  a 
rest.]  "  I  beg  of  you  to  consider  though  that  you 
are  the  only  man  we  have  at  our  disposal  who  can  see 
this  thing  through." 

He  then  began  to  hint  in  such  a  way  that  it  became 
obvious  to  me  that  refusal  on  my  part  would  not  be 
at  all  to  the  liking  of  the  Wilhelmstrasse.  Kefusal 
would  mean  loss  of  favor  and  with  it  the  choice  jobs. 
As  an  added  inducement,  von  Stammer  promised 
double  the  usual  remuneration.  Frankly  this  was  a 
point.  I  considered  that  the  mission  would  not  take 
me  over  three  or  four  weeks  and  he  had  agreed  to 
pay  me  f 2,500,  aside  from  the  bonus  always  attached 
to  successful  and  quick  work.  Still,  I  wasn't  sure 
that  I  wanted  to  go.  I  knew  there  was  the  danger  of 
recognition,  and  I  knew  the  kind  of  irresponsible,  hot- 
headed, temperamental  people  I  was  going  among.  It 
was  far  more  difficult,  far  more  hazardous,  than  any 
mission  I  had  ever  undertaken,  in  England  or  France ; 
even  the  tremendous  responsibilities  of  the  affair  in 
the  Black  Forest  carried  with  them  none  of  the  per- 
sonal dangers  that  this  did.  When  he  pressed  me 
for  a  decision  I  requested  some  little  time  to  think 
things  over.  Asking  me  to  telephone  his  home  be- 

153 


fore  midnight  and  let  him  know  what  I  was  going  to 
do,  he  departed. 

I  hope  I  am  still  a  Christian,  but  contact  and  inter- 
course with  the  mysticism  of  Africa  and  India  has 
made  me  superstitious.  I  have  a  curious  habit  at 
momentous  times  of  indecision  of  taking  two  full 
packages  of  cards  and  playing  Napoleon's  solitaire. 
If  I  get  it  out  once  in  three  times,  I  generally  go  into 
the  matter  in  hand  without  question.  It  never  has 
failed  me.  Twice  in  my  life  I  went  against  it ;  twice 
I  had  bitter  cause  of  regret. 

Well,  I  didn't  give  von  Stammer  his  decision  on 
the  moment  because  I  wanted  to  try  the  old  test. 
Kim  produced  the  cards  and  I  began  to  play.  I  got 
it  out  the  second  time.  Going  to  the  'phone  I  called 
von  Stammer  and  told  him  I  would  undertake  the 
mission.  He  asked  me  to  come  at  once  to  his  house, 
and  there  I  received  final  instructions  and  pass- 
ports, the  latter  essential  south  of  the  Austrian 
frontier. 

At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  boarded  the  Ori- 
ent Express  via  Vienna  and  made  a  stop  over  of  a 
day  at  Budapest.  I  went  immediately  to  Donau- 
strasse  24  and  saw  the  Austrian  agent  Kowalsky. 
From  him  I  gained  points  that  were  invaluable  to 
me.  For  instance,  he  gave  me  the  names  of  men  who 
frequented  certain  places  in  Belgrade,  men  who 
would  be  of  use  to  me.  He  also  warned  me  of  cer- 
tain persons,  especially  women  whom  he  knew  to  be 
in  Russian  employ.  That  night  I  caught  a  train  for 

154 


IN  THE  BALKAN  COUNTRY 


Belgrade,  well  satisfied  with  the  results  of  my  visit 
to  Kowalsky. 

Before  dinner  time  the  next  day,  I  was  installed 
at  the  Hotel  de  Paris  in  Belgrade.  My  rooms  had 
been  engaged  for  me  beforehand  and  they  were  the 
most  expensive  in  the  hotel  —  for  a  reason.  I  found 
myself  in  an  elaborate  suite  on  the  first  floor,  known 
as  the  suite  Des  Princes.  This  was  a  necessary  move 
of  the  parvenu  as  money  is  the  first  and  last  word  in 
the  Balkans.  Belgrade  and  everybody  in  it  pride 
themselves  on  their  up-to-date  Parisian  style.  Every- 
body lives  in  the  Parisian  way.  Army  officers,  whose 
pay  is  infinitesimal,  all  live  like  Russian  Grand 
Dukes.  How  they  are  able  to  manage  this  on  the 
official  Servian  army  salaries  of  65  cents  a  day  would 
naturally  puzzle  an  outsider.  The  answer  is,  Rus- 
sian gold.  It  buys  anything  and  everything  south 
of  Budapest.  It  cannot  buy  in  Montenegro  where 
patriotism  is  supreme,  nor  can  it  buy  what  it  wants 
among  the  Osmans.  To  be  sure  it  can  buy  the  Turk ; 
but  there  is  a  vast  difference  between  an  Osmanly  and 
a  Turk. 

Through  my  lavish  expenditure  of  money,  I  soon 
was  a  marked  person  and  courted  by  all  the  gay  of- 
ficers of  the  capital.  One  of  their  number  was  a 
Major  Schuvealoff.  A  ~bon  vivant  and  gambler,  was 
Major  Schuvealoff,  with  the  tastes  of  a  Grand  Duke. 
On  a  mission  of  this  kind  a  secret  agent  always  likes 
to  find  a  man  who  is  "  fast."  I  knew  the  Major  to 
be  in  the  Russian  pay.  Kowalsky  tipped  me  off  to 

155 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

that.  I  knew  that  it  was  from  him  I  could  get  every- 
thing I  wanted,  even  though  he  was  taking  the  Czar's 
gold. 

Into  the  gay  life  of  Belgrade  I  plunged  a-hunting, 
the  Major  the  quarry.  I  gave  a  series  of  dinners  at 
the  Hotel  de  Paris.  After  the  dinners  there  was 
gambling.  I  always  lost  to  the  Major.  He  lost  to 
others  but  I  was  careful  never  to  win  from  him.  He 
fell  into  the  way  of  dropping  around  at  my  quarters. 
Like  most  of  his  set,  the  Major  was  a  heavy  drinker. 
When  his  face  would  become  very  flushed  and  his 
tongue  very  glib,  I  would  try  to  draw  things  out  of 
him,  but  I  never  could  get  anything  worth  while.  The 
slightest  suspicious  question  made  him  close  up  as 
tight  as  an  oyster. 

I  had  seen  him  often  in  the  company  of  a  French 
lady,  a  Mile.  Kene  Valon.  It  was  obvious  that  she 
and  the  Major  were  on  pretty  good  terms.  Little  in- 
cidents, things  that  happened  in  a  room  full  of  peo- 
ple, led  me  to  guess  that  she  was  extremely  fond  of 
him.  I  made  it  my  business  to  cultivate  her  acquaint- 
ance, for  experience  had  often  shown  me  that  where 
gold  and  myself  failed,  a  pair  of  flashing  eyes  and 
other  felicities  will  often  succeed.  Like  all  the  other 
women  of  that  set  in  Belgrade,  Mile.  Valon  was 
woefully  extravagant.  She  gambled  heavily  and  one 
night  I  assisted  her  with  a  loan  of  500  francs.  I  came 
to  know  her  fairly  well. 

I  had  no  previous  indication  of  her  being  in  any 
way  connected  with  any  foreign  service.  Indeed  ev- 

156 


IN  THE  BALKAN  COUNTRY 


erything  pointed  to  the  contrary.  But  when  on  these 
missions,  one  is  always  on  the  qui  vive.  Mile.  Valon's 
French  was  perfect.  She  looked  French,  her  man- 
nerisms were  French.  Still  I  wasn't  satisfied.  In 
a  case  like  this,  it  is  wise  to  be  suspicious  of  every- 
one. I  began  to  make  the  most  delicate  inquiries. 
In  conversation  I  tried  to  draw  out  little  things.  I 
felt  she  was  playing  a  role.  I  used  outside  sources, 
but  everything  bore  out  the  French  origin.  Still  I 
wasn't  satisfied.  Subsequently  my  quasi  suspicions 
proved  to  be  correct. 

One  night  Mile.  Valon  gave  a  supper  party  in  her 
apartments  in  the  Hotel  de  Paris.  After  the  supper 
there  was  gambling  among  the  guests.  Here  in  the 
privacy  of  her  rooms  was  an  opportunity  to  discover 
some  little  thing  that  would  either  confirm  her  French 
claims  or  confirm  my  suspicions.  I  kept  my  eyes 
open,  but  they  could  find  nothing  that  would  show 
any  connection  with  Russia.  That  is,  they  found 
nothing  until  Mile.  Valon  got  up  from  the  table,  went 
to  her  boudoir  and  returned  nibbling  on  a  piece  of 
candy.  It  was  the  candy  that  gave  her  away. 

I  saw  at  once  it  was  a  particular  brand  of  Russian 
candy  quite  distinct  from  similar  confections  in 
France  and  Turkey.  In  reality  they  are  natural  flow- 
ers such  as  roses  and  violets  with  their  fragrance  and 
natural  taste  in  a  champagne-colored,  crystal  sub- 
stance, the  nature  of  which  is  a  secret.  Made  solely 
by  Demitrof  and  Sons  of  Moscow,  they  are  usually  ap- 
preciated only  by  a  born  Moscovite.  The  taste  for 

157 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

them  must  be  acquired.  Only  a  Russian  or  one  who 
had  for  years  lived  in  Kussia  would  have  it. 

Although  Mile.  Valon  was  personally  unknown  to 
me,  five  out  of  every  ten  of  these  women  were  invaria- 
bly known  to  the  Secret  Service  branch  of  the  Con- 
tinental police.  My  suspicions  as  to  her  confirmed, 
it  was  an  even  chance  that  I  might  be  able  to  place 
her.  I  procured  two  snapshots  of  her  and  a  speci- 
men of  her  handwriting.  These  I  forwarded  to  the 
chief  of  the  sections  in  Vienna  and  Berlin,  with  a 
request  to  wire  any  possible  information  about  her. 
Within  forty-eight  hours  I  had  a  reply.  Mile.  Valon 
was  well  known  to  the  Austrian  police  as  a  one-time 
keeper  of  a  fashionable  gambling  resort  in  Galicia. 
She  had  left  the  country  hurriedly  after  a  stabbing 
affray.  She  was  known  in  Crakau  as  Paula,  and  she 
was  wanted  by  the  police. 

I  engineered  my  next  meeting  with  Mile.  Valon  to 
be  alone.  After  presenting  her  with  a  box  of  per- 
fumes, I  said  abruptly: 

"  This  is  a  change  from  Crakau,  Paula." 

It  is  always  wise  to  smash  right  out,  and  not  to 
put  the  other  on  guard  through  leading  questions, 
and  the  trick  had  the  desired  effect.  She  recoiled. 
To  your  high  American  standards  of  chivalry,  it  may 
seem  brutal  to  take  advantage  of  a  woman  in  this 
way,  but  it  had  to  be  done.  Moreover,  these  women 
are  absolutely  conscienceless  themselves. 

"  Grand  Dieu !    Who  are  you?  " 

"  That  does  not  concern  you  ma  fille,  I  know  that 

158 


IN  THE  BALKAN  COUNTRY 


and  a  good  deal  more.  Austria  would  be  very  glad 
to  know  where  you  are.  Shall  I  tell  them?  " 

She  had  recovered  to  an  extent. 

"  What  is  your  price  for  not  telling?  " 

I  replied: 

"  Let  Russia  slip  this  once,  gain  me  the  information 
I  seek  and  nothing  further  shall  be  said." 

Her  air  of  surprise  was  perfect. 

"  Russia?     I  know  nothing  at  all  about  Russia." 

I  smiled,  walked  to  her  desk  where  there  was  a  sil- 
ver tray,  and  picked  up  a  sugared  rose. 

"  You're  clever,  Paula,  but  careless.  Know  noth- 
ing about  Russia,  yet  have  acquired  a  taste  for  the 
fine  candies  of  the  Muscovites?  Remarkable,  Paula." 

She  bit  her  lips. 

"  What  do  you  want?  " 

"Now  before  we  begin,  Paula," — that  name 
seemed  to  vex  her  — "  let  it  be  understood  that  there 
is  to  be  no  double  dealing  here.  It  would  be  an  easy 
matter  for  you  to  have  me  legitimately  assassi- 
nated." 

She  would  do  that  in  this  way : 

She  would  tell  one  of  her  many  admirers  that  I  had 
insulted  her.  One  morning  I  would  come  downstairs 
to  be  slapped  in  the  face  before  a  hotel  full  of  peo- 
ple and  what  could  I  do?  It  would  be  a  case  of  pis- 
tols and  I  would  get  a  bullet. 

"  Remember,"  I  cautioned  her,  "  if  anything  hap- 
pens to  me  here  —  and  if  they  in  Vienna  do  not  hear 
from  me  every  six  hours,  on  the  seventh  you  will  be 

159 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

arrested.  You  will  be  arrested  on  an  Imperial  Aus- 
trian warrant.  Your  friends  in  here,  army  of- 
ficers, though  they  are,  will  not  dare  to  help  you. 
Servia  will  not  take  the  chance  of  angering  Austria 
by  refusing  to  acknowledge  the  imperial  warrant. 
Eemember,  Paula,  there  is  now  an  Austrian  army  on 
the  Servian  border." 

The  look  she  gave  me  was  venomous. 

"  Now  I'll  tell  you  what  I  want,"  I  continued. 
"  Major  Schuvealoff  is  in  the  Kussian  pay.  He  has 
got  the  key  to  the  Eussian  influence  here.  He  knows 
just  how  far  they  are  prepared  to  go.  I  want  that 
key.  You've  got  to  get  it.  I  have  the  Major  pretty 
well  sounded.  Money  would  be  very  acceptable  to 
him.  He  is  half-willing  to  sell  out  Russia,  but  he 
fears  your  supervision.  I  know  that  you  were  sent 
here  by  Kussia,  Paula,  just  to  keep  your  eye  on  agents 
in  Russian  pay,  principally  on  our  friend  Schuvealoff. 
I  know  you  have  not  the  situation  in  hand  like  he  has. 
If  you  had,  I  wouldn't  bother  going  any  further,  I'd 
get  it  from  you  .  .  .  Now  your  part  is  to  give  him  to 
understand  that  he  has  nothing  to  fear  from  you.  No 
lapse  by  him  will  be  reported.  You're  rather  fond  of 
him  already,  aren't  you?  If  you  value  his  safety 
you'd  better  do  as  I  ask.  Otherwise  I  shall  also  let 
him  go  up.  I  hold  something  over  his  head  too." 

This  last  shot  in  the  dark  seemed  to  bear  the  most 
weight  with  her.  She  said : 

"  What  guarantee  have  I  that  you'll  keep  your  side 
of  the  bargain?" 

160 


IN  THE  BALKAN  COUNTRY 


I  said  none,  for  the  simple  reason  I  couldn't  give 
any. 

"  Your  own  sense,"  I  explained,  "  and  knowledge  of 
the  work  you're  doing  should  tell  you  that  it  is  to  my 
interest  to  get  results,  and  not  trouble  about  other 
things.  I'll  promise  you,  however,  no  further  inter- 
ference for  this  affair  in  Crakau.  There  will  also  be 
the  price  of  a  diamond  collar  in  it  for  you."  (I  sub- 
sequently filed  a  requisition  for  fl,000  to  be  paid 
her,  but  I  think  she  got  more.)  "You  agree? 
Good!" 

The  agreement  closed,  I  went  back  to  the  hotel  well 
satisfied  with  the  night's  work. 

Early  the  next  morning  a  very  perturbed  Major 
Schuvealoff  was  shown  into  my  chamber.  I  greeted 
him  cordially  and  opened  fire  with  the  remark. 

"  I  see  Mile.  Valon  has  conferred  with  you." 

He  started. 

"  How  did  you  know?  " 

"Mon  cher  Major,  this  early  visit,  your  sobriety, 
your  nervous  manner  are  indications  enough.  My 
time  is  valuable,  and  although  your  petite  Paris  here 
is  very  entertaining,  I  prefer  the  Baltic  seashore.  If 
you  have  anything  to  say  to  me,  say  it  quickly,  and  to 
the  point.  I  leave  this  afternoon  for  Vienna.  It  may 
interest  you  to  know  that  you  are  absolutely  safe.  I 
put  no  stop  to  your  no  doubt  valuable  service  to  your 
employer.  In  fact,  it's  no  affair  of  mine  what  you  do 
after  I  leave.  But  I  want  the  whole  of  your  knowl- 
edge of  Kussian  activity  here  and  in  Koumania." 

161 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

He  replied : 

"  I  know  very  little  about  Roumania." 

I  shook  my  head. 

"  This  will  not  do,  Major,  you  know  about  as  much 
of  Russian  intrigues  in  Roumania  as  you  do  of  them 
here.  I  want  the  whole  or  nothing.  As  Mile.  Valon 
—  Paula  —  doubtless  has  told  you,  neither  you  nor 
she  are  in  a  position  to  hold  back  a  single  thing." 

Without  further  attempt  to  bluff  it  out,  he  told  me 
what  I  wanted.  The  gist  of  it  was  this : 

With  the  aid  of  French  money,  Russia  was  heavily 
subsidizing  Bulgaria  and  Servia  against  Turkey. 
Numerable  non-commission  Russian  and  French  of- 
ficers were  pouring  into  Belgrade  and  Sofia.  They 
were  ready  to  take  the  field  in  the  armies  of  the  Allies. 
Most  of  the  leading  officers  and  men  of  affairs  of  the 
Allies  were  in  the  Russian  pay.  In  fact,  a  systematic 
Russianization  was  in  progress.  The  armies  of  the 
Allies  were  being  equipped  with  a  new  kind  of  French 
gun.  Bulgarian  and  Servian  troops  were  being  paid 
by  Russian  and  French  gold.  Obviously  the  menace 
of  the  Czar  abetted  by  France  was  to  be  a  tremendous 
factor  in  the  situation.  Russia  was  in  so  deep  that 
there  was  no  pulling  out. 

This,  of  course,  had  been  suspected  by  the  cabinets 
of  Germany  and  Austria.  But  how  far  and  how  thor- 
ough the  actuality  was,  I  had  been  sent  to  find  out. 
The  results  of  my  mission  showed  beyond  all  doubt  the 
urgent  need  for  Germany  and  Austria  to  begin  their 
machinations  to  off-set  the  rising  power  of  Russia  in 

162 


IN  THE  BALKAN  COUNTRY 


the  Balkans.  I  took  the  night's  Orient  Express  for 
Berlin  direct  and  I  made  my  report  to  von  Stammer, 
as  Wedel  was  still  inaccessible,  being  away  with  the 
Kaiser. 

At  once  Austria  and  Germany  set  about  to  smash 
the  threatening  predominance  of  Russian  influence 
in  the  Balkans.  A  solid  coalition  of  Bulgaria,  Servia 
and  Montenegro  with  a  Russian  dominance  would 
have  played  a  solid  factor  in  the  policies  of  Germany, 
Austria  and  England.  It  would  have  interfered  with 
the  plans  made  for  the  isolation  of  France  at  that 
secret  meeting  in  the  Black  Forest.  This  coalition 
had  to  be  broken  up.  It  was  broken  up. 

At  the  crucial  stage  of  the  Balkan  war,  experts  in 
Eastern  questions  turned  curious  eyes  toward  Rou- 
mania,  the  most  advanced  and  the  strongest  of  the 
Balkan  States.  The  sway  and  influence  behind  Rou- 
mania  controls  the  situation  in  the  Balkans.  Who 
is  the  power  holding  this  key  to  the  situation?  Ger- 
many and  Austria.  The  appearance  of  an  army  on 
Roumania's  southwestern  frontier  would  have  made 
a  vast  difference  in  the  success  of  the  Balkan  arms 
against  the  Turk.  This  army,  however,  did  not  ap- 
pear until  the  Allies  had  finished  fighting  Turkey  and 
had  begun  to  fight  themselves.  I  shall  show  you  why 
this  army  was  withheld. 

The  ruling  house  in  Roumania  is  closely  allied  and 
related  to  the  house  of  Hohenzollern.  I  need  only 
mention  Carmen  Sylva,  the  Queen  of  Roumania,  and 
King  Charles,  both  German  by  birth.  The  direct  com- 

163 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

mereial  relationship  between  Germany  and  Roumania 
is  also  very  great.  Roumania,  of  all  the  Balkan  coun- 
tries, has  least  felt  the  yoke  of  the  Turk  and  the  intense 
hatred  of  the  Turk  rampant  in  the  rest  of  the  Balkan 
States  is  not  characteristic  of  Carmen  Sylva's  do- 
mains. Russo-French  machinations  producing  tang- 
ible results  in  Bulgaria,  Servia,  Montenegro  and  Al- 
bania met  with  only  indifferent  success  in  Roumania. 
If  Russian  persuasion  and  gold  could  have  induced 
Roumania  to  throw  her  armies  into  the  field  against 
the  Turk,  the  map  of  the  Balkans  would  show  some 
mighty  changes.  A  Roumanian  army  corps,  menac- 
ing Turkey's  northwestern  frontier  during  her  strug- 
gle with  the  Balkan  Allies,  would  certainly  have  seen 
the  occupation  of  Constantinople  by  the  allied  forces. 
But  those  army  corps  were  withheld  through  Austro- 
German  influence  and  pressure  on  Roumania.  Ready 
they  were  and  they  came  in  handy  and  were  made  use 
of  by  Germany  and  Austria  in  keeping  Servia  and 
Bulgaria  in  check.  Bulgaria,  Servia  and  Montenegro, 
stanchly  believing  Russia's  promises  in  securing  rati- 
fication of  their  successes  and  territory,  found  them- 
selves left  to  their  own  resource,  Russia  being  unable 
through  force  of  circumstances  to  exert  her  pledged 
influence. 

Humanity  has  been  staggered  by  the  results  of  the 
wars  in  the  Balkans,  but  to  those  who  were  behind 
the  scenes  the  results  did  not  come  as  a  surprise. 
Bulgaria  alone  had  enough  successes  against  the  Turk 
to  warrant  great  acquisitions  of  territory,  so  with  her 

164 


IN  THE  BALKAN  COUNTRY 


allies.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  there  would 
have  been  no  return  to  the  status  quo  ante-bellum. 
Why  this  return? 

When  little  countries  previously  hereditary  enemies 
are  welded  together  by  an  outside  power  and  the  in- 
fluence of  this  power  subsequently  wanes,  there  is  an 
inevitable  outcome.  The  individual  cupidity  and 
jealousies  will  break  forth,  especially  when  judiciously 
fostered  as  they  were  in  this  instance  by  the  counter 
influence  of  Germany  and  Austria.  The  result  is  well 
known.  Servia  was  jealous  of  Bulgaria;  Bulgaria 
was  jealous  of  Montenegro ;  Greece  was  jealous  of  the 
lot  and  Eoumania,  instigated  by  her  wirepullers, 
would  not  permit  any  of  them  to  have  anything.  But 
through  sheer  exhaustion  and  disgust  and  a  stoppage 
of  Franco-Russian  money  we  would  have  had  one  of 
the  finest  all  around  throat-cutting  competitions  the 
world  has  ever  seen.  In  the  meantime,  the  mutual 
jealousy  and  inability  to  divide  the  spoil  was  beneficial 
to  Turkey,  who  really  lost  nothing  worth  speaking 
about,  commensurate  with  the  reverses  received. 

That  and  the  breaking  up  of  any  possible  coalition 
or  federation  of  Balkan  States  under  Russian  influ- 
ence was  just  what  the  German-Austrian  Balkan 
policy  demanded.  A  broken  and  prostrated  Turkey, 
a  united  and  strong  central  Balkan  Federation  able  to 
put  a  million  efficient  fighters  in  the  field,  probably 
under  Russian  sway,  would  make  a  vast  difference  to 
German  aims  and  aspirations  in  central  Europe.  A 
million  soldiers  cooperating  with  Russia  would  in  the 

165 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE  ' 

event  of  a  European  war  take  practically  the  whole 
of  the  Austrian  forces,  leaving  Germany  the  sole  care 
of  the  Kussian  battalions,  which  would  mean  quite 
half  her  available  fighting  force,  weakening  her  oper- 
ations by  that  half  on  her  Franco  and  lowland  border. 
As  it  stands  now,  the  Balkans  eliminated  for  decades 
to  come;  Turkey  as  a  potential  fighting  stronger  to- 
day than  ever,  would  and  will  be  used  by  Germany 
against  any  possible  Russian  interference;  and  the 
Turkish  army,  three-quarters  of  a  million  strong,  in 
conjunction  with  the  Austrian  armies  provides  the 
needed  guard  against  Eussia,  joining  in  or  making 
capital  out  of  any  war  Germany  is  likely  to  enter  into 
in  the  near  future. 

Dr.  Armgaard  Karl  Graves  is  not  known  in  the 
Balkans,  "but  among  the  gay  extravagant  army  officers 
of  Belgrade,  "  Count  Arthur  Zu  Wernigrode  "  is. 


166 


X 

MY  MISSION  AND  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 

DURING  1911  my  diplomatic  missions  piled  one 
upon  the  other.  Of  recent  years  it  was  the 
most  tempestuous  in  European  cabinets.  The  drama 
that  began  with  my  mission  to  Monte  Carlo  and  de- 
veloped through  the  swift  climaxes  of  the  Moroccan 
affair,  the  secret  conference  between  Germany,  Aus- 
tria and  England  in  the  Taunus,  that  rushed  on 
through  the  intrigues  that  preceded  the  Balkan  War, 
had  now  lulled,  gathering  its  forces  perhaps  for  the 
final  catastrophe,  the  general  war  of  all  the  Powers, 
which  may  come  this  year  —  or  next.  To  be  sure  the 
terms  that  the  English,  German  and  Austrian  minis- 
ters had  agreed  upon  in  the  Black  Forest  were  now 
awaiting  ratification  by  their  respective  governments. 
Bear  this  in  mind  — "  were  waiting  ratification  " — 
for  it  explains  the  mission  that  I  was  called  upon  to 
undertake  on  November  18,  1911. 

I  received  the  usual  summons  to  report  at  the  Wil- 
helmstrasse.  Instead  of  being  brought  before  Count 
von  Wedel,  I  was  taken  over  to  Koenigergratzerstrasse 
70,  to  the  German  Admiralty  Intelligence  Depart- 
ment. Here  I  met  my  old  Chief  Captain  Tappken, 

167 


head  of  the  naval  branch  of  the  Intelligence  Depart- 
ment. The  Captain  briefly  informed  me  that  it  had 
been  deemed  advisable  to  send  me  to  England  —  un- 
welcome news,  this,  as  you  will  see.  In  the  usual  curt 
yet  polite  manner  of  German  officers,  the  Captain  in- 
troduced me  to  three  naval  experts.  One  was  a  con- 
struction officer,  another  in  the  signaling  department, 
the  third,  an  expert  on  explosives  and  mines.  One  at 
a  time  they  took  me  in  hand,  grooming  me  in  the  in- 
tricacies of  their  respective  fields.  It  was  like  a  re- 
hearsal in  the  grooming  I  had  received  years  ago  when 
taken  into  the  Service  and  trained  for  months.  I  sat 
for  hours  over  diagrams  with  a  naval  officer  on  each 
side.  They  brought  me  before  charts  that  were  as 
big  as  the  wall  of  the  room.  These  charts  gave  the 
exact  dimensions  and  type  of  every  vessel  in  the  Brit- 
ish navy.  Not  only  that,  I  was  made  to  study  the 
silhouettes  of  all  the  new  and  different  types  of  Eng- 
lish warships  —  why  you  will  see. 

Obviously  this  special  training  was  significant. 
Part  of  my  mission  to  England  was  to  watch  the 
preparations  and  maneuvers  of  British  warships  at 
the  naval  bases  on  the  Scottish  coast. 

As  you  may  surmise,  the  situation  between  England 
and  Germany  was  peculiar.  The  secret  treaty  of  the 
Black  Forest  was  awaiting  ratification  by  the  heads 
of  the  two  governments.  Of  course  the  mass  of  sub- 
jects—  indeed  not  ten  men  in  each  country  —  knew 
aught  of  what  had  transpired  near  Schlangenbad. 
Politicians  had  worked  up  a  war  scare  to  such  pitch 

168 


MY  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


that  the  people  of  the  two  nations  were  ready  to  rush 
into  conflict.  Only  a  spark  was  needed  to  fire  the 
situation.  Eealizing  that  under  the  menace  of  ex- 
isting conditions,  the  unforeseen  might  happen,  the 
Kaiser  was  not  lessening  his  secret  diplomatic  in- 
trigues; rather  he  was  increasing  them.  It  is  a  fact 
that  even  though  two  nations  have  a  secret  treaty, 
they  each  remain  suspicious  of  the  other.  After  all, 
secret  treaties  have  been  ruthlessly  torn  up.  The  vig- 
ilance of  European  cabinets  must  be  eternal. 

Hence  my  mission.  It  was  included  in  my  instruc- 
tions to  watch  the  movements  of  British  warships  off 
the  Scottish  coast  and  promptly  cable  the  German  Ad- 
miralty Intelligence  Department  concerning  them. 
This  is  where  a  study  of  the  silhouette  charts  would  be 
invaluable.  At  night  or  in  a  fog  or  early  in  the  morn- 
ing I  would  not  be  able  to  distinguish  the  British 
ships  by  name.  But  knowing  the  silhouettes  of  all  the 
naval  types  —  for  example,  certain  kinds  of  dread- 
naughts,  powerful  cruisers,  torpedo  boat  destroyers 
—  I  would  be  able  to  tell  what  ships  were  putting  to 
sea.  When  I  had  memorized  all  the  charts,  they  cov- 
ered the  names  of  the  battle  ships  thereon  and  made 
me  repeat  the  types.  For  instance,  I  would  say, 
"  That  is  a  Queen  Mary  type  of  battle  cruiser.  The 
other  is  of  the  Ajax  type.  That  destroyer  is  of  the 
Viper  type."  And  so  on.  There  are  well-defined 
architectural  lines  to  every  group  of  ships  in  the  Brit- 
ish navy  and  these  silhouettes  I  learned  to  know  by 
heart  before  I  was  permitted  to  leave  Berlin. 

169 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

Moreover,  I  had  to  brush  myself  up  in  topography 
and  trigonometry.  In  England  —  so  I  learned  from 
my  instructions  —  it  would  be  necessary  to  calculate 
distances,  to  take  observations  on  the  exact  nature  of 
the  newly  reconstructed  Bossyth  base  near  Edinburgh 
on  the  Firth  of  Forth ;  besides  keeping  in  touch  with 
things  in  Cromarty. 

I  was  to  watch  especially  the  new  Kossyth  base  and 
to  report  progress  on  armaments,  new  equipment,  any- 
thing of  use  to  the  German  Admiralty.  I  was  to  keep 
tab  on  all  the  British  fleet  maneuvers  then  in  progress 
on  the  Scottish  coast.  It  must  be  understood  that  the 
bases  at  Bossyth  and  Cromarty  were  Great  Britain's 
answer  to  Germany's  powerful  naval  base  at  Helgo- 
land. So  far  as  Germany's  northern  coasts  are  con- 
cerned, the  Scottish  coast  is  the  most  convenient  point 
of  attack  for  Great  Britain.  Fearing  the  unforeseen 
spark  firing  the  hostile  minds  of  the  people  of  the  two 
nations,  Germany  was  thus  preparing  to  be  instantly 
informed  of  any  sudden  demonstration  by  the  English 
fleets  off  Scotland.  Not  a  ship  could  leave  either 
Bossyth  or  Cromarty  without  an  immediate  cable  be- 
ing sent  by  me  to  Berlin,  reporting  how  many  war 
vessels  and  of  what  type  had  put  to  sea,  also  if  pos- 
sible the  reason  for  the  movement. 

At  the  Intelligence  Department,  I  was  given  carte 
blanche  as  to  how  to  go  about  my  mission.  I  am  frank 
to  say  I  did  not  care  at  all  for  it.  I  had  good  reason 
to  be  wary.  The  suspicious  state  of  England  at  the 
time,  and  a  stringent  law  just  passed,  matfe  this  mis- 

170 


MY  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


sion  very  dangerous  as  far  as  your  liberty  was  con- 
cerned. There  was  no  danger  of  a  knife  thrust  as  in 
the  Balkans,  but  there  was  of  jail.  Contrary  to  all 
precepts  of  British  law,  there  had  been  rushed  through 
the  House  of  Commons,  the  Official  Secrets  Act,  a 
clause  so  elastic  and  convenient  for  convictions  that  a 
judge  could  charge  a  jury  to  find  a  man  guilty  on  sus- 
picion only.  As  I  recall  it  the  gist  of  it  was : 

"Any  person  or  persons  making  or  obtaining  any 
document  whatsoever,  endangering  or  likely  to  en- 
danger the  safeguards  of  Great  Britain  can  be  found 
guilty  notwithstanding  there  being  no  consequent 
proof  of  any  actual  offense.  A  sentence  of  seven  years 
penal  servitude  will  be  given  the  offender." 

It  does  not  need  a  lawyer  to  point  out  the  tremen- 
dous power  of  prosecution  that  this  added  clause  to 
the  statutes  put  in  the  hands  of  the  English  govern- 
ment. As  I  stated,  it  was  rushed  through  the  House 
of  Commons,  but  it  was  necessary.  One  has  to  admit 
that  to  be  fair.  Within  six  months  three  German 
spies  had  been  arrested  in  England.  There  was  a 
plague  of  them.  Knowing  this  and  also  knowing  the 
general  efficiency  of  England's  public  servants  and 
system,  I  was  rather  loath  to  stick  my  head  into  it. 
That  penalty  for  being  caught  —  seven  years'  penal 
servitude  —  loomed  ominously,  for  penal  servitude  in 
England  is  plain  hell.  Also,  I  knew  that  although  no 
passports  are  required  in  England,  they  still  know 
pretty  well  what  is  going  on,  especially  in  regard  to 
foreigners.  It  is  easy  to  get  into  England,  but  deuced 

171 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

hard  to  get  out.  Also,  knowing  the  secret  under- 
standing between  the  two  governments,  I  had  an  un- 
easy premonition  that  everything  was  not  quite  right 
in  the  state  of  Denmark.  Subsequent  events  proved 
to  me  that  this  feeling  of  mine,  very  seldom  at  fault, 
was  correct. 

However,  strong  pressure  and  great  inducements 
were  brought  to  bear  on  me  and  I  undertook  the  mis- 
sion, against  my  better  judgment.  When  I  left  Berlin 
I  was  thoroughly  equipped  to  carry  out  instructions. 
Every  war  vessel  of  the  British  navy,  every  fortifica- 
tion, naval  base  and  depot  of  supplies  was  coded  in 
Secret  Service  ciphers.  Arrangements  had  been  made 
with  the  Intelligence  Department  to  transmit  tele- 
grams to  addresses  in  Brussels,  Copenhagen  and  Paris. 
In  the  event  of  the  Brussels  channel  of  communica- 
tion being  closed,  I  could  resort  to  either  of  the  others. 
The  Brussels  address  was  C.  V.  Noens,  Eue  de  Venise, 
34.  Noens  had  instructions  to  forward  any  communi- 
cations from  me  to  the  proper  authorities  in  Berlin, 
and  all  letters  from  Berlin  went  from  him  to  a  little 
tobacconist's  shop  in  London  and  were  there  remailed 
to  me  in  Scotland.  Six  hours  after  my  subsequent  ar- 
rest in  Glasgow,  Scotland  Yard  detectives  sought  the 
tobacconist  but  found  him  not;  nor  did  they  find 
Noens. 

As  for  the  Copenhagen  address,  that  was  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  Hotel  Stadtkiel.  Having  had  him  at 
my  beck  and  call  during  a  mission  to  Copenhagen,  I 
knew  him  to  be  in  German  pay.  Marie  Blanche,  who 

172  * 


MY  BETEAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


conducted  a  modiste  and  lingerie^  shop  on  the  Hue  de 
Kivolie,  handled  all  my  communications  to  Paris. 

I  went  to  Edinburgh  by  way  of  Hook  of  Holland  and 
Folkstone.  I  went  by  way  of  March,  not  going  through 
London  for  a  reason.  The  reason  is  that  at  all  times 
and  more  especially  with  the  air  surcharged  with  war 
scares,  all  continental  steamers  and  expresses  enter- 
ing London  are  closely  watched.  The  general  traveler 
does  not  know  that  every  Dover,  Calais  and  Flushing 
Express  is  met  and  watched  not  only  by  Scotland  Yard 
detectives  but  by  special  government  officers.  As  a 
rule,  very  little  escapes  them.  Anyone  not  an  Eng- 
lishman is  upon  landing  likely  to  notice  an  elderly, 
gray-haired,  high-hatted  English  gentleman  who  looks 
like  a  retired  army  officer  or  cleric  and  who  generally 
carries  an  umbrella.  If  this  clerical  looking  gentle- 
man decides  a  foreigner  is  suspicious,  he  is  closely 
shadowed  from  the  moment  he  enters  London. 

Circumventing  this  by  going  via  March,  I  arrived  in 
Edinburgh  and  put  up  at  the  old  Bedford  Hotel  on 
Prince's  Street,  a  quiet  select  Scottish  hostelry.  I 
registered  under  my  quasi-correct  name  of  A.  K. 
Graves,  M.  D.,  Turo,  Australia.  My  "  stunt "  was 
to  convey  the  impression  of  being  an  Australian  physi- 
cian taking  additional  post-graduate  courses  at  the 
famous  Scottish  seat  of  medical  learning.  After  a  few 
days'  residence  at  the  Bedford,  I  installed  myself  in 
private  quarters  at  a  Mrs.  Macleod's,  23  Craiglea 
Drive,  Edinburgh.  The  ordinary  expense  provided 
for  my  residential  quarters  was  f 75  a  week.  This  of 

173 


course  did  not  include  "extras,"  such  as  entertain- 
ing, motors,  etc. 

For  the  first  fortnight  I  quietly  took  my  bearings, 
creating  a  suggestion  that  I  was  a  semi-invalid.  Hav- 
ing by  this  time  familiarized  myself  with  Edinburgh 
and  surroundings,  I  made  frequent  trips  to  the  Firth 
of  Forth  upon  which  was  located  the  Rossyth  base. 
Now  across  the  Firth  there  is  a  long  bridge.  It  is  be- 
tween the  Rossyth  base  and  the  North  Sea.  Warships 
going  to  and  from  the  naval  station  pass  under  it. 
But  more  about  this  bridge  later  —  something  for  the 
benefit  of  the  English  Admiralty. 

Gradually  I  worked  myself  into  the  confidence  of 
one  of  the  bridge  keepers.  I  shall  not  give  the  man's 
name  for  to  do  so  would  injure  him  and  quite  unwill- 
ingly he  gave  me  facilities  for  studying  the  naval  base 
and  furnished  me  with  scraps  of  information  that  I 
wanted  to  know.  For  this  he  received  no  money  and 
he  was  not  a  traitor  to  his  country.  Through  the  lit- 
tle acquaintance  I  struck  up  with  him,  I  was  able  to 
make  a  thorough  study  of  the  bridge  and  its  structure 
—  a  strategic  point,  the  bridge.  Also,  through  the  of- 
fices of  my  good  friend  the  keeper,  I  was  introduced  to 
some  of  his  "pals"  in  the  waterguard.  Because  of 
my  intimate  knowledge  of  Robbie  Burns,  Walter 
Scott,  "inside"  history  of  Prince  Charlie,  and  — 
ahem !  —  Scottish  proclivity  for  a  drop  o'  whisky,  they 
accepted  me  as  a  half  Scotchman. 

From  the  waterguard  I  obtained  more  definite  in- 
formation regarding  the  Rossyth  base.  So  much  for 

174 


MY  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


the  topographical  knowledge  which  could  only  be  ob- 
tained through  personal  contact  with  men  who  act- 
ually knew  every  inch  of  the  ground.  The  charts  back 
in  Berlin  could  not  give  me  that  exact  information. 
The  higher  scientific  data  of  the  fortifications  and  the 
base,  I  obtained  by  social  intercourse  with  high  placed 
officials  —  officers  and  engineers  at  Kossyth  —  whom  I 
entertained  at  various  times. 

The  schooling  I  had  received  in  the  silhouettes  pres- 
ently came  in  handy.  One  night  my  friend,  the  bridge 
tender,  learned  that  the  fleet  was  getting  up  steam. 
Accordingly,  I  stood  on  the  bridge  that  night  and 
waited.  At  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  a  gray,  rainy, 
foggy  morning,  through  which  the  ships  moved  al- 
most ghost-like,  I  made  out  sixteen  war  vessels.  From 
their  silhouettes,  I  knew  them  to  be  dreadnaughts, 
cruisers,  and  torpedo  boat  destroyers.  At  once  I  filed 
a  cable  by  way  of  Brussels,  informing  the  Intelligence 
Department  of  the  German  Navy  that  an  English  fleet 
sixteen  strong  had  put  to  sea.  Subsequently  I  learned 
that  in  describing  the  sixteen  ships  I  had  made  only 
one  mistake. 

I  may  here  draw  attention  and  in  return  for  Eng- 
land's fair  treatment  of  me  during  my  trial,  give  them 
gratis,  this  information.  The  Firth  of  Forth  Bridge 
constitutes  a  grave  danger  to  the  Rossyth  Royal  naval 
base. 

For  this  reason :  Its  location  between  Rossyth  and 
the  sea  is  a  decided  menace.  In  the  event  of  hostili- 
ties, in  fact  before  the  outbreak  of  war,  it  is  no  ways 

175 


impossible  to  blow  up  the  Firth  of  Forth  Bridge  and 
bottle  all  war  vessels  concentrated  at  the  Bossy th  base. 
They  could  thus  be  bottled  up  for  several  days  power- 
less, while  a  foreign  fleet  swept  at  the  Scottish  coasts. 
The  British  foreign  office  will  understand  what  I  mean 
by  this :  Look  to  the  middle  island. 

I  found  it  to  be  partly  intervened  with  soft,  soapy 
neiss,  making  natural  ruts  and  cavities  that  were  ideal 
for  the  placing  of  explosives.  I  learned  also  that  along 
the  Edinburgh  approach  to  the  Firth  of  Forth  Bridge 
were  two  pieces  of  ground  and  houses  in  reality  ow^ned 
by  Germans  although  the  deeds  stood  in  Scottish 
names.  Moreover,  little  fishing  hamlets  on  either  side 
of  the  bridge  harbored  more  than  one  supposed  Swed- 
ish fisherman  but  who  in  reality  had  his  name  still  on 
the  German  Naval  register.  In  the  event  of  trouble 
these  men,  using  explosives  stored  in  the  two  houses 
in  question,  could  have  blown  the  Middle  Island  to 
atoms. 

After  about  three  weeks  I  began  to  be  suspicious 
of  being  followed.  Arriving  home  one  night  I  noticed 
that  my  dress  suit  was  arranged  in  a  different  way  to 
what  I  had  left  it.  I  called  my  landlady  and  casually 
inquired  if  my  tailor  had  been  there.  She  said,  "  No, 
Doctor." 

"  Well,"  I  replied.  "  What  reason  have  you  then  to 
rearrange  my  clothes?  " 

Her  face  reddened  and  she  seemed  flustered. 

"  I  wasn't  in  your  room,"  she  faltered.  "  I  remem- 

176 


MY  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


ber  now.  I  believe  the  tailor  was  here.  One  of  the 
servants  let  Mm  in." 

I  have  no  reason  to  shield  Mrs.  Macleod,  for  with 
true  Scottish  thrift  she  got  as  much  out  of  me  as  she 
could  and  then  afterwards  declared  in  court  that  she 
thought  I  was  a  German  spy  a  fortnight  after  I  had 
been  in  her  house. 

I  made  it  my  business  to  go  around  to  my  tailor's 
within  an  hour's  time  and  he  contradicted  her  story. 
He  had  not  been  at  the  house.  To  completely  verify 
my  suspicions  that  I  was  being  shadowed,  I  went  the 
next  day  into  the  "  F  and  F,"  a  well-known  caterer  on 
Prince's  Street.  In  the  writing-room  I  wrote  some 
letters,  one  of  which  I  purposely  dropped  on  the  floor. 
I  withdrew  to  the  washroom  and  returning  in  about 
fifteen  minutes  noticed  that  the  letter  had  disap- 
peared. Making  inquiries  of  "buttons"  and  of  the 
"  desk  girl "  I  learned  that  a  gentleman  had  quietly 
picked  up  the  letter  and  without  reading  it  had  put  it 
in  his  pocket  and  walked  away.  That  settled  it. 
They  were  after  me. 

I  hope  this  particular  detective  or  his  superior  could 
read  Greek.  For  they,  or  whoever  spent  their  time 
translating  my  letter,  read  an  ancient  Greek  version 
of  "  Mary  had  a  Little  Lamb." 

I  recognized  it  as  an  occasion  where  I  had  to  make 
a  right  royal  bluff.  I  went  at  once  to  police  head- 
quarters in  Edinburgh.  I  asked  for  Chief  Constable 
Eoss,  and  sent  in  my  card  bearing  Dr.  A.  K.  Graves, 

177 


Turo,  S.  Australia.  Presently  I  was  shown  into  the 
chief's  room  and  was  received  by  a  typical  Scottish 
gentleman.  I  opened  fire  in  this  way : 

"  Have  you  any  reason  to  believe  that  I  am  a  Ger- 
man spy?" 

I  saw  that  it  had  knocked  him  off  his  pins. 

"  Why,  no/'  he  said,  startled.  "  I  don't  know  any- 
thing at  all  about  it." 

"  It's  not  by  your  orders  then  that  I  am  followed?  " 

"  Certainly  not,"  he  replied. 

"Well,  Chief,  it's  hardly  likely  that  anything  of 
such  importance  would  transpire  without  your  no- 
tice." 

"  What  reason  have  you  to  believe  that  you  were 
followed?  "  he  asked. 

"  Reason  in  plenty,"  I  replied.  "  Some  agent  had 
even  the  audacity  to  enter  my  apartments  and  search 
my  effects.  This,  as  you  know,  is  absolutely  against 
English  law,  a  warrant  being  necessary  for  such  pro- 
cedure. If  you  have  any  reason  to  take  me  to  be  a 
German  spy,  go  right  ahead  now,  or  let  these  rather 
nonsensical  persecutions  cease.  I  have  taken  this  up 
to  now  to  be  rather  a  good  joke,  but  my  sense  of  humor 
has  its  limit." 

Chief  Constable  Boss  became  serious,  and  very 
bravely  said : 

"  Well,  Doctor,  you  know  we've  got  to  obey  orders. 
I'm  quite  satisfied  though  that  there  has  been  a  mis- 
take made  and  you  shall  no  further  be  annoyed." 

He  bowed  me  out.  Of  course  I  knew  I  still  would 

178 


MY  BETEAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


be  shadowed  which  I  did  not  mind  in  the  least,  I 
reasoned  that  my  visit  to  the  police  might  make  them 
slow  down  a  bit.  Right  along  I  communicated  by 
cables  and  letter  with  Berlin  and  went  the  even  tenor 
of  my  way.  About  a  week  after  my  experience  with 
Constable  Boss,  I  received  information  that  William 
Beardmore  &  Co.,  of  Glasgow,  were  constructing  some 
new  fourteen-inch  guns  for  the  British  government. 
That  meant  a  change  of  base. 

I  at  once  made  it  my  business  to  go  to  Glasgow  and 
get  particulars.  I  installed  myself  in  the  Central 
Station  Hotel,  and  in  a  few  weeks  gained  all  the  in- 
formation I  wanted.  It  would  take  too  long  to  de- 
tail how  this  was  done,  but  you  have  a  very  expressive 
American  saying,  "  money  talks."  I  had  the  plans, 
firing  systems,  everything  of  interest  about  the  new 
fourteen-inch  turret  guns.  While  in  Glasgow  I  re- 
ceived letters  addressed  to  me  as  James  Stafford.  I 
received  two  such  letters,  and  upon  my  calling  at  a 
General  Post-Office  for  a  third,  I  was  informed  that 
there  was  a  letter  for  A.  Stafford. 

"  Oh  yes,  that  is  my  letter,"  I  said. 

The  clerk  demurred  and  replied : 

"  You  asked  for  James  Stafford.  Under  those  cir- 
cumstances I  cannot  hand  you  this  letter.  It  is 
against  the  postal  law." 

Not  being  in  a  position  to  raise  a  question  I  let  it 
go  at  that,  never  for  a  moment  thinking  that  my  em- 
ployers would  be  so  culpably  careless  as  to  put  any  in- 
criminating evidence  in  the  mail.  Events  proved  that 

179 


that  is  just  what  they  did.  Moreover,  I  later  came  to 
know  why  that  particular  letter  was  addressed  not  to 
James  but  to  A.  Stafford.  All  my  previous  letters 
were  addressed  to  me  as  Dr.  A.  K.  Graves  and  were 
enclosed  in  the  business  envelope  of  the  well-known 
chemical  firm  of  Burroughs  &  Wellcome,  Snowhills, 
London,  E.  C. —  which  paper  had  been  fabricated  for 
the  purpose.  Of  course  the  letters  were  sent  from  the 
Continent  to  London  and  there  reposted.  The  sta- 
tionery of  this  chemical  firm  was  fabricated  so  as  to 
disarm  any  possible  suspicion,  for  European  post- 
offices  are  taught  to  be  suspicious.  It  would  be  per- 
fectly natural  for  me,  a  physician  in  Edinburgh,  to  re- 
ceive a  letter  from  a  very  well-known  chemical  con- 
cern. 

When  I  left  Edinburgh  to  find  out  about  the  four- 
teen-inch  guns,  I  gave  our  people  in  London  instruc- 
tions to  use  plain  envelopes  and  to  address  them  to 
James  Stafford,  G.  P.  O.,  Glasgow.  The  first  two  let- 
ters were  addressed  correctly  and  plain  envelopes  were 
used.  The  third  was  not  only  misaddressed  ~but  was 
enclosed  in  one  of  the  B.  &  W.  envelopes  —  this  as  I 
later  learned,  for  a  reason. 

No  one  having  called  for  it,  the  letter  was  returned 
to  the  chemical  company.  At  their  office  it  was 
opened  and  found  to  contain  a  typewritten  letter  in 
the  German  language  and  five  ten-pound  notes  on  the 
Bank  of  England.  The  contents  of  the  letter  was 
such  as  to  lead  the  firm  to  call  in  the  police. 

On  the  evening  of  April  14th,  I  had  just  put  on  my 

180 


MY  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


evening  clothes  and  gone  to  the  upstairs  writing-room. 
I  was  awaiting  a  party  of  gentlemen  who  were  coming 
to  dine  with  me  in  the  hotel.  There  came  a  "  but- 
tons "  who  announced : 

"  There's  a  gentleman  downstairs  to  see  you,  Doc- 
tor." 

A  premonition  stole  over  me.  I  knew  that  my 
guests  would  not  have  sent  for  me  to  come  down  but 
would  have  been  announced.  I  realized  that  if  I  was 
going  to  be  caught  there  was  no  avoiding  it.  Secret 
Service  makes  a  man  a  fatalist.  I  took  the  precau- 
tion, however,  to  slip  inside  my  dinner  coat  just  under 
the  arm,  my  little  bag  of  chemicals,  so  often  handy  in 
an  emergency.  Then  I  went  downstairs,  one  hand 
was  thrust  in  my  pocket,  the  other  folded  across  my 
breast  so  that  I  could  snatch  the  little  bag  of  chemi- 
cals in  an  emergency. 

I  had  hardly  reached  the  last  step  of  the  grand  stair- 
way when  four  big  plain-clothes  men,  pounced  upon 
me.  I  had  to  do  some  swift  thinking.  I  could  have 
flung  the  chemicals  in  their  faces  and  escaped,  but  I 
knew  I  could  never  get  outside  of  the  British  Isles 
without  being  caught  —  outside  of  Glasgow  for  that 
matter.  Such  resistance  would  only  incriminate  mat- 
ters still  more,  so  I  let  my  hand  fall  down  to  my  side. 
More  for  the  fun  of  it  than  anything  else,  I  guess,  I 
got  on  my  horse  and  demanded  to  know  what  was  the 
matter. 

"  You'll  soon  know,"  Inspector  French  declared. 

It  seems  that  a  woman  had  just  called  me  on  the 

181 


telephone  and  the  Inspector,  hurrying  to  the  wire,  pre- 
tended that  he  was  I  and  tried  to  learn  something. 

He  then  ordered  his  men  to  search  me  and  seemed 
amazed  when  they  couldn't  find  any  six  shooters,  dag- 
gers or  bombs.  I  was  taken  back  to  my  room  and 
there  he  began  going  through  my  effects,  and  bundling 
them  up.  I  knew  I  was  up  against  it;  but  I  wasn't 
going  to  make  it  any  easier  for  them.  I  requested 
Mr.  Morris,  then  manager  of  the  hotel,  and  another 
witness  to  be  called  into  my  room.  These  gentlemen 
were  k:'nd  enough  to  put  down  on  paper  a  description 
of  all  my  effects  that  were  being  taken  away  by  the 
police.  I  was  extremely  careful  to  see  that  they  noted 
and  described  all  papers  and  written  matters  of  any 
kind.  There  are  often  produced  in  court  documents 
that  are  not  found  on  a  Secret  Service  agent  at  the 
time  of  his  arrest.  Inspector  French  —  I  recall  him 
as  an  uncouth,  illiterate  bungler  who  subsequently 
tried  to  get  a  lot  of  publicity  out  of  my  arrest  as  if  he 
himself  had  detected  the  whole  concern,  instead  of 
having  it  thrust  under  his  nose  by  the  London  chem- 
ical company  —  was  preparing  to  ride  over  me  rough- 
shod. I  insisted  that  he  read  the  warrant  for  my  ar- 
rest and  with  much  grumbling  he  finally  did  so.  It 
had  been  issued  under  the  Official  Secret  Act  that  had 
been  rushed  through  the  House  of  Commons.  I  was 
charged  with  endangering  the  safeguards  of  the  Brit- 
ish Empire. 

I  spent  the  night  in  the  Glasgow  City  Prison,  and 
was  taken  the  next  day  before  a  magistrate  and  form- 

182 


ally  committed  to  a  sheriff's  court.  On  July  12  my 
case  came  up  before  the  Sheriff's  court.  Waiving  pre- 
liminary examination,  I  was  committed  for  trial  to 
the  Edinburgh  High  Court.  It  is  significant  that  the 
extreme  length  of  a  committal  without  trial  under 
British  law  is  one  hundred  and  five  calendar  days, 
which  hundred  and  five  days  up  to  the  last  minute  I 
certainly  waited.  They  were  trying  to  find  out  my 
antecedents  but  they  did  not  succeed. 

A  letter  from  the  Lord  Provost  informed  me  that  all 
material  for  my  defense  should  be  in  his  hands  a  day 
before  the  trial.  I  had  no  defense.  I  neither  denied 
nor  admitted  anything.  I  replied  to  his  Lordship  that 
as  I  was  unaware  of  any  offense  there  was  no  need  of 
any  defense.  My  attitude  was  a  profound  puzzle  — 
which  was  as  I  wanted. 

If  you  care  to  look  over  the  back  files  of  the  English 
and  Scottish  newspapers  of  the  time  you  will  read  that 
my  trial  was  "  the  most  sensational  court  procedure 
ever  held  in  a  Scottish  court  of  justice." 

Now  I  shall  reveal  every  circumstance  of  it.  For 
the  first  time  I  shall  explain  how,  why  and  by  whom 
I  was  secretly  released.  Until  I  revealed  myself  in 
the  United  States,  even  the  German  Foreign  Office 
thought  me  in  jail. 

Against  me  the  crown  had  summoned  forty-five  wit- 
nesses. They  included  admirals,  colonels,  captains, 
military  and  naval  experts,  post  office  officials  —  I 
cannot  recall  all.  The  press  from  all  parts  of  Europe 
—  for  all  Europe  was  vitally  concerned  in  this  trial  — 

189 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

was  represented.  My  memory  shows  me  again  the 
crowds  that  packed  the  big  supreme  court  building  at 
Edinburgh  on  the  first  day  of  the  proceedings.  The 
imposing  names  connected  with  the  trial,  the  strange 
circumstances,  a  spy,  moreover  a  German !  —  These 
things  brought  the  excitement  to  fever  heat. 

Presiding  was  the  Lord  Justice  of  Scotland,  himself 
no  mean  expert  in  military  matters.  The  Solicitor 
General  of  Scotland,  A.  M.  Anderson,  who  prosecuted 
for  the  crown,  was  supported  by  G.  Morton,  Advocate 
Deputy.  The  government  had  indeed  an  imposing 
array  of  bewigged,  black-gowned,  legal  notables  mar- 
shaled against  me. 

Those  familiar  with  English  court  procedure  know 
the  impressive  manner  with  which  justice  is  dispensed. 
Punctually  at  ten  on  the  morning  of  July  23, 1912,  my 
trial  opened.  Clad  in  his  royal  red  robe  with  the 
ermine  collar  of  supreme  justice,  the  Lord  Justice  en- 
tered the  court.  Before  him  walked  a  mace  bearer, 
intoning  "  Gentlemen,  the  Lord  Justice !  Gentlemen, 
the  Court ! "  After  the  impressive  ceremonies  had 
been  observed,  the  jury  was  quickly  empaneled,  I  mak- 
ing several  challenges.  Twelve  years  in  the  Secret 
Service  naturally  has  made  me  know  something  of 
men.  I  knew  that  those  twelve  hard-headed,  cautious 
Scottish  jurymen  would  demand  pretty  substantial 
proof  before  convicting.  At  the  time  I  am  frank  to 
say  that  I  did  not  think  there  was  a  chance  of  a  verdict 
of  guilty  being  brought  in.  The  evidence  against  me 
was  too  vague. 

184 


MY  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


Expressing  astonishment  at  my  refusal  to  accept 
counsel  —  which  was  subsequently  forced  on  me  — 
His  Lordship  promised  to  guard  my  interest  on  legal 
points;  and  guard  it  he  did.  Repeatedly  he  ruled 
against  the  Solicitor  General  and  challenged  him  on 
more  than  one  point.  I  am  frank  in  my  admiration 
of  British  justice.  My  trial  was  a  model  of  fairness. 

On  the  first  day  I  waived  examination  on  all  wit- 
nesses but  the  naval  and  military  experts.  I  directed 
my  fire  against  Bear  Admiral  T.  B.  Stratton  Adair, 
who  superintended  the  ordnance  factories  of  the 
Beardmore  Gun  Works  in  Glasglow.  The  Admiral, 
a  typical  English  gentleman  of  the  naval  officer  type, 
long,  lank  with  a  rather  ascetic,  clear-cut  Roman  head, 
not  unlike  Chamberlain  in  general  appearance,  even 
to  the  single  eye-glass,  did  not  make  much  of  a  show- 
ing as  an  expert  witness  for  the  prosecution.  The  Ad- 
miral wras  called  in  on  testimony  concerning  the  new 
fourteen-inch  gun.  The  point  they  were  trying  to  es- 
tablish was  that  it  was  impossible  for  a  man  to  have 
my  knowledge  of  these  guns  unless  he  had  obtained  it 
first  hand  from  the  works  in  Glasgow.  Of  course 
that  brought  the  testimony  into  technicalities.  I 
managed  to  involve  the  Admiral  in  a  heated  alterca- 
tion on  the  trajectory  and  penetrating  power  of  the 
so-much  disputed  fourteen-inch  gun.  One  word  led 
to  another  and  notwithstanding  that  he  ranked  at  that 
time  as  a  rear  admiral  of  the  British  Navy,  the  Ad- 
miral showed  that  he  did  not  know  as  much  about  his 
own  guns  as  I.  Backed  into  this  corner  he  was  about 

185 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

to  divulge  things  in  support  of  his  knowledge  when  he 
recovered  himself,  pulled  up  suddenly  and  appealed  to 
the  Court. 

"  Your  Lordship,  it  is  against  the  British  Govern- 
ment to  have  any  more  questions  on  this  point  in  open 
court." 

I  maintained  that  my  knowledge  of  guns  was  such 
that  I  did  not  need  to  spy  at  Beardmore  to  obtain  the 
things  I  knew.  Subsequently  after  being  cross-exam- 
ined by  me  another  of  the  government's  naval  experts 
told  the  court : 

"  It  is  quite  possible  for  one  with  a  ballistic  knowl- 
edge such  as  the  defendant's  to  be  able  with  very  little 
data  to  arrive  at  accurate  conclusions  regarding  our 
new  fourteen-inch  guns." 

A  word  of  advice  to  the  Admiral.  Do  not  talk  so 
much  when  you  go  motor  boating  with  pretty  young 
musical  comedy  girls.  You  see,  Admiral,  I  made  it 
my  business  to  see  those  young  ladies  in  Glasgow. 
What  an  interest  they  took  in  you  —  a  great  Admiral ! 
It  is  you,  Admiral,  whom  I  thank  for  aiding  me  in  se- 
curing the  right  persons  from  whom  the  secrets  of  your 
new  fourteen-inch  guns  could  be  obtained. 

A  note  they  found  in  my  effects  was  introduced  as 
evidence.  It  read  as  follows : 

"  The  firm  of  William  Beardmore  and  Co.,  Park- 
head,  Glasgow.  B  first  orders  F  new  13.5  guns  F, 
Navy.  Length  51  feet,  weight  73  tons.  One  foot 
longer  than  12-inch,  but  12  tons  heavier.  Weight  of 
shot,  1, 250  lb.,  400tob.  more  than  the  12-inch  gun." 

186 


MY  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


The  upshot  of  it  was  that  the  first  day  of  the  trial 
ended  with  everybody  positive  that  I  would  not  be 
found  guilty  on  the  charge  of  obtaining  secret  in- 
formation about  their  guns.  Of  course  all  this  infor- 
mation I  had  obtained. 

On  the  recess  I  was  pleasantly  surprised  when  a 
court  orderly  brought  me  refreshments  from  the 
judge's  own  table  with  his  Lordship's  compliments. 
It  struck  me  that  I  was  being  treated  more  like  a 
guest  than  a  prisoner. 

The  second  day  of  the  trial  brought  the  Burroughs 
&  Wellcome  letter  into  the  testimony  —  the  letter  that 
had  been  refused  me  and  had  in  turn  gone  back  to  the 
Chemical  Company.  Very  gravely  Sir  Anderson, 
Crown  Prosecutor,  read  the  contents  of  this  letter 
aloud.  As  I  recall  the  exact  wording  it  was : 

Dear  Sir: 

We  are  pleased  to  learn  of  your  successful  negotiation  of  the  busi- 
ness at  hand.  Be  pleased  to  send  us  an  early  sample.  As  regards 
the  other  matter  in  hand  I  do  not  know  how  useful  it  will  be  to  us. 
In  any  case  my  firm  is  not  willing  to  pay  you  more  than  100  In  this 
case. 

It  was  unsigned. 

While  reading,  Sir  Anderson  held  the  five  ten-pound 
notes  in  his  hand.  Upon  finishing  he  began  a  vigor- 
ous indictment  which  in  substance  he  declaimed  in 
this  way. 

"  On  the  face  of  it,  this  letter  does  not  seem  sus- 
picious. But  if  you  gentlemen  will  recall  the  times 
of  Prince  Charles'  insurrections,  periods  whenever  in- 

187 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

trigues  were  going  on,  you  will  remember  that  in  com- 
munications of  this  sort  a  government  was  always  re- 
ferred to  as  a  '  firm.'  If  this  was  an  honest  business 
letter  why  was  it  enclosed  in  the  envelope  stationery 
of  a  company  that  knew  nothing  about  it?  Why  was 
this  letter  unsigned  Why  was  cash  enclosed,  with  it? 
What  was  his  firm  willing  to  pay  100  pounds  for? 
Gentlemen,  the  reasons  for  all  these  things  are  ob- 
vious." 

But  the  letter  puzzled  not  only  the  court,  the  jury, 
the  newspapers,  but  all  England.  For  the  first  time 
I  shall  now  explain  it : 

It  was  from  the  German  government.  By  the 
"  business  at  hand  "  they  meant  a  new  explosive  and 
slow-burning  powder  that  was  to  be  used  in  the  new 
type  of  fourteen-inch  turret  guns  being  made  in  Glas- 
gow. Some  of  that  explosive  was  in  my  possession. 
The  fact  that  it  was  not  discovered  in  my  effects,  nor 
was  anything  else  incriminating  found  on  me  is  be- 
cause the  Secret  Agent  who  knows  his  business  leaves 
nothing  about ;  but  he  "  plants  "  things,  that  is  to  say, 
leaves  them  in  a  safe  deposit  vault  with  the  key  in  the 
hands  of  a  person  with  power  of  attorney. 

By  the  "  sample  "  in  the  letter  was  meant  a  sample 
of  the  explosive.  The  "  other  business  at  hand  "  was 
spoken  of  as  of  tremendous  importance,  more  vital  to 
the  safeguards  of  Britain  than  the  other  points  men- 
tioned in  the  letter. 

There  were  sub-agents  working  at  Cromarty.  I  did 
not  know  who  they  were;  they  simply  made  their  re- 

188 


MY  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


ports  to  me,  signing  their  German  Secret  Service  num- 
ber. I  took  up  their  points  with  Berlin.  Well,  the 
"  other  business  in  hand  "  was  to  put  a  certain  British 
army  officer  under  a  monthly  retaining  fee  of  100£  for 
which  in  the  event  of  war  he  was  to  commit  an  act  of 
unspeakable  treason  and  treachery  on  a  certain  harbor 
defense. 

I  had  judged  my  jurymen  right,  for  they  were  very 
little  impressed  by  this  letter.  It  was  all  too  vague 
and  even  the  fluent  language  of  a  Crown  Prosecutor 
does  not  impress  a  hard-headed  Scotchman.  I  was 
feeling  in  high  spirits  indeed,  when  I  saw  one  of  the 
attendants  approach  Sir  Anderson  and  deliver  a  docu- 
ment that  had  been  handed  into  court.  I  at  once  rec- 
ognized it  and  my  heart  dropped  into  my  shoes.  The 
Solicitor  General  read  the  document  and  smiled.  I 
knew  they  had  me. 

In  addressing  the  court  the  Solicitor  General  pro- 
duced two  pieces  of  thin  paper  —  the  same  that  had 
been  brought  in  on  the  previous  afternoon. 

"  I  have  got  to  show  the  court,"  he  said  impressively, 
"  the  most  deadly  code  ever  prepared  against  the  safe- 
guards of  Great  Britain." 

And  it  certainly  was.  It  contained  the  name  of 
every  vessel  in  the  British  Navy,  every  naval  base, 
fortification  and  strategic  point,  in  Great  Britain. 
There  were  over  ten  thousand  names  and  opposite 
each  was  written  a  number.  For  example,  the  battle 
cruiser  Queen  Mary  was  number  813. 

As  I  have  confessed,  I  am  superstitious.  And  have 

189 


THE  SECKETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

I  not  reason  to  be?  It  was  the  Burroughs  &  Well- 
come letter  that  got  me  caught  in  the  first  place.  And 
my  secret  code  was  written  in  a  book  issued  for  the 
use  of  physicians  by  Burroughs  &  Wellcome!  Both 
times  the  B  &  W  mark  was  upon  me. 

Using  a  magnifying  glass  I  had  written  in  tiny  char- 
acters my  code.  There  were  so  many  names  it  was 
impossible  to  memorize  them  all.  Two  opposite  sheets 
of  the  little  memoranda  book  were  used,  then  the  edges 
of  the  pages  were  pasted  together.  Whenever  I 
learned  the  British  warships  were  going  to  put  to  sea, 
I  slipped  the  book  in  my  pocket,  went  to  a  position 
of  vantage  where  I  could  make  out  the  silhouettes  of 
the  warships,  classified  them  in  my  mind,  and  then 
writing  out  a  cable  put  down  the  code  numbers,  say 
in  this  way. 

214,  69,  700,  910,  21  —  ( Necessary  words  were 
filled  in  by  the  A.  B.  C.  code). 

This  message  was  sent  by  way  of  Brussels  or  Paris 
to  the  Intelligence  Department  of  the  German  Admir- 
alty in  Berlin  and  told  them  what  warships  were  put- 
ting to  sea  or  arriving  at  Rossyth.  The  code  con- 
tained such  phrases  as  this: 

"  Current  rumors."  "  Incoming."  "  Outgoing." 
"Clearing  for  action."  "Have  lowered  defending 
nets."  "  Land  fortifications  are  manned."  "  Pro- 
tective maneuvers  are  being  carried  out  at  sea." 
"  Coal  being  carried  by  rail."  "  Remarkable  influx  of 
Reservists."  "  Mine  fields  being  laid."  "  All  is  quiet; 

190 


MY  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


nothing  important  to  report."     "Liners  are  appear- 
ing." 

The  accidental  finding  of  this  code  of  course  settled 
all  further  argument.  I  called  no  witness  for  the  de- 
fense except  two  or  three  personal  acquaintances  to 
each  of  whom  I  put  this  question : 

"  What  is  your  knowledge  of  my  attitude  as  regards 
England?" 

They  all  declared  that  even  if  I  was  a  spy  in  the 
pay  of  any  foreign  government  I  certainly  had  never 
shown  any  personal  feeling  or  animosity  toward  Great 
Britain. 

All  of  which  I  figured  might  aid  the  cause  of  clem- 
ency. The  jury  was  not  out  more  than  half  an  hour. 
I  was  found  guilty  of  endangering  the  safeguards  of 
the  British  Empire  and  under  the  new  law  that  had 
been  aimed  against  German  spies  I  was  liable  to  seven 
years'  penal  servitude.  Even  then  my  spirits  were 
not  down.  I  had  what  Americans  call  "  a  hunch." 

Just  before  his  Lordship,  the  Chief  Justice,  summed 
up,  an  aristocratic,  gray-clad  Englishman,  who  never 
had  been  in  the  court  room  before,  appeared  and  was 
courteously,  almost  impressively,  conducted  to  the 
bench.  I  noticed  that  the  Chief  Justice  bowed  to  him 
with  unction  and  they  had  about  two  minutes'  whis- 
pered conversation.  His  Lordship  was  nodding  re- 
peatedly. This  worried  me.  I  felt  I  was  going  to  get 
it  good. 

But,  in  substance,  his  Lordship's  verdict  was : 

191 


"  Taking  all  the  circumstances  into  consideration, 
the  court  pronounces  a  sentence  of  eighteen  months' 
imprisonment." 

I  smiled  and  said: 

"  Exit  Armgaard  Karl  Graves." 

A  murmur  of  astonishment  was  audible.  Every- 
body in  court  was  surprised.  I  heard  gasps  all 
around  me,  especially  among  the  foreign  newspaper 
reporters.  With  everybody  expecting  seven  years  of 
penal  servitude,  eighteen  months  of  plain  imprison- 
ment was  a  bombshell.  Why? 

I  was  taken  first  to  Carlton  Hill  Jail,  Edinburgh, 
and  transferred  after  two  weeks  to  Barlinney  Prison 
near  Glasgow.  Considering  the  circumstances,  I  was 
treated  with  surprising  consideration.  The  condi- 
tions that  had  characterized  my  trial  prevailed  in  the 
prison.  I  soon  perceived  that  the  Barlinney  prison 
officials  were  trying  to  sound  me  in  a  canny  Scotch 
way  —  with  no  result. 

"  You're  foolish  to  stay  in  here  —  You  must  have 
something  worth  while —  Why  don't  you  get  out?  " 

That  was  the  gist  of  their  talks  with  me  from  the 
warders  up.  I  kept  my  mouth  shut. 

Now  I  shall  present  information  that  was  denied  the 
House  of  Commons  upon  the  occasion  of  an  inquiry 
into  my  case. 

On  the  fifth  week  of  my  imprisonment  I  was  taken 
to  the  office  of  the  Governor  of  the  prison.  As  I  en- 
tered I  saw  a  slight,  soldierly  looking  English  gentle- 
man of  the  cavalry  type —  (a  cavalry  officer  has  cer- 

192 


MY  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


tain  mannerisms  that  invariably  give  him  away  to 
one  who  knows) .     The  Governor  spoke  first : 

"  Graves,  here  is  a  gentleman  who  wishes  to  see 
you." 

The  stranger  nodded  to  the  Governor  and  said : 

"  I  may  be  quite  a  while.  You  have  your  instruc- 
tions." 

"  That's  all  right,  sir,"  replied  the  Governor. 

The  Governor  left  and  we  were  alone.  The  stranger 
rose. 

"  My  name  is  Eobinson,  Doctor.  Please  take  a 
seat." 

Of  course,  being  a  prisoner,  I  had  remained  stand- 
ing. 

Kobinson  began  some  casual  conversation. 

"  How  are  they  treating  you?  " 

"  I  have  no  complaints  to  make." 

"  Is  the  confinement  irksome  to  you?  " 

"Naturally."  I  looked  him  straight  in  the  face. 
"  I  am  a  philosopher.  Kismet,  Captain." 

"  Oh  —  ho  "  he  exclaimed.  "  You  address  me  as 
Captain.  Wheref or  this  knowledge?  We  have  never 
met." 

"  No,"  I  replied.  "  But  I  have  associated  too  long 
with  various  types  of  army  officers  not  to  be  able  to  de- 
tect a  British  cavalry  officer.  Formerly  of  an  Hussar 
regiment,  I  take  it?  " 

He  laughed  for  some  time.  He  continued  feeling  his 
way  in  this  manner.  Then  suddenly  he  changed 
front.  Point  blank  he  asked  me : 

193 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

"  Now,  old  chap,  we  know  that  you  worked  for 
Germany  against  us.  We  also  know  that  you  are  not 
a  German.  Is  there  any  reason  why  you  should  not 
work  for  us?  Any  private  reason?" 

"  Captain,"  I  said,  "  you  of  all  men  ought  to  know 
that  the  betrayal  of  your  employers  for  a  monetary  or 
a  liberty  reason  alone  is  never  entertained  by  a  man 
who  has  been  in  my  work.  We  go  into  it  with  our  eyes 
open,  well  knowing  the  consequences  if  we  are  caught. 
We  do  not  squeal  if  we  are  hurt." 

For  a  time  he  looked  at  me  very  earnestly. 

"  H-m,"  he  said.  "  That  just  bears  out  what  we 
have  been  able  to  ascertain  about  you.  It  puzzled 
us  how  a  man  of  your  known  ability  acted  the  way  you 
did.  From  the  moment  you  landed  in  England,  all 
the  time  you  were  doing  your  work,  even  after  your 
arrest,  in  prison  and  in  court  you  show  a  sort  of  list- 
less, almost  an  indifferent  attitude.  If  I  may  put  it 
this  way,  you  seemed  in  noways  keen  to  go  to  extremes 
in  any  possible  missions  you  might  have  had,"  he 
paused.  "  We  think  you  could  have  done  more  than 
you  did  .  .  .  The  mildness  of  your  sentence,  has  it 
surprised  you?  " 

I  grinned. 

"  Nothing  surprises  me,  Captain." 

His  manner  became  very  earnest. 

"  Supposing,"  he  said,  "  we  show  you  that  it  was  a 
quasi-deliberate  intention  on  the  part  of  your  em- 
ployers to  have  you  caught  —  what  then?  " 

This  did  not  startle  me  either.  I  had  an  idea  of  that 

194 


MY  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


all  along.  It  is  why  I  played  my  cards  so  quietly, 
why  I  did  not  accomplish  in  England  everything  I  had 
a  chance  to  accomplish.  I  did  not  grin  this  time. 

"  Under  those  circumstances,"  I  said,  "  I  am  open 
to  negotiations.  But  I  am  rather  deaf  and  my  vision 
is  very  much  obscured  as  long  as  I  see  bars  in  front  of 
my  window." 

The  Captain  smiled : 

"  Well,  Doctor,  I  may  see  you  again  soon." 

"  Captain,  I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  but  that 
you  will.  But  let  it  be  understood,  please,  that  it's  a 
waste  of  time  as  long  as  I  am  behind  bars." 

"  Leave  that  to  me,"  he  said  and  we  shook  hands. 

I  was  taken  back  to  my  cell.  I  am  frank  to  admit 
that  I  didn't  sleep  much  for  the  next  two  or  three 
nights.  All  through  my  trial  and  in  Barlinney  I  had 
been  playing  a  part.  When  the  occasion  demanded  I 
could  be  as  cool  as  I  was  with  Captain  Kobinson. 
But  that  was  a  strain  and  it  took  it  out  of  me.  Dur- 
ing these  following  days  I  was  nervous;  I  had  in- 
somnia; I  paced  my  cell  at  night.  The  feeling  of  a 
jail  is  cold  and  thick. 

But  as  I  expected,  another  week  brought  Captain 
Robinson  again.  This  time  it  was  late  in  the  evening 
after  all  the  prisons  were  shut  up  tight.  The  Lieu- 
tenant-governor himself  took  me  into  the  Governor's 
office.  No  other  warder  or  prison  official  observed 
us. 

"  Well,  Doctor,"  was  the  way  Robinson  greeted  me. 
"  I  have  something  definite  to  propose  to  you.  You 

195 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

can  be  of  use  to  us.  You  have  still  sixteen  months 
of  your  sentence  to  serve.  Are  you  willing  to  give 
these  sixteen  months  of  your  time  to  us  —  terms  to 
be  agreed  upon  later?  I  am  prepared  to  supply  you 
with  proofs  that  you  were  deliberately  put  away,  be- 
trayed by  your  employers,  the  German  government." 

He  did  so  to  my  complete  satisfaction.  As  I 
guessed,  I  had  come  to  learn  so  much  of  Germany's 
affairs  that  I  was  dangerous.  To  betray  me  in  such  a 
way  that  I  would  not  suspect  and  squeal  was  a  clever 
way  to  close  my  mouth  for  seven  years  in  jail  or  until 
the  Black  Forest  plans  had  matured. 

"  How  would  you  suggest  that  we  go  about  it?  "  he 
asked. 

"  To  be  of  the  slightest  degree  of  use  to  you,  nobody 
must  know  of  my  release,"  I  added.  "  Here  is  my 
suggestion.  I  must  leave  the  execution  of  it  to  you. 
The  impression  I  conveyed  around  Edinburgh  was 
that  my  health  is  rather  indifferent.  So  it  is  also  be- 
lieved here  in  the  prison.  On  those  grounds  it  should 
be  an  easy  matter  for  you  to  have  me  ostensibly  trans- 
ferred to  another  prison;  instead  of  which,  have  me 
taken  wherever  you  wish  to.  I  see  no  necessity  that 
outside  the  Lieutenant-governor,  the  Governor  and 
yourself,  any  one  need  know  of  it." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  Eobinson.  "  That  coincides  with 
my  own  ideas  and  plans."  Presently  he  departed  and 
I  went  back  again  to  my  cell. 

At  half-past  five  the  next  morning,  I  was  aroused  by 
the  Lieutenant-governor.  He  was  alone.  There  were 

196 


no  warders  in  sight.  In  the  Governor's  office  I  found 
all  my  clothes  and  effects  ready  and  laid  out  for  me. 
These  I  addressed  and  left  with  the  Lieutenant-gover- 
nor. We  took  a  taxicab  for  the  Caledonian  Station 
in  Glasgow.  Few  people  were  abroad  in  Glasgow  at 
that  time  of  day  and  there  was  no  danger  of  recogni- 
tion. The  trip  to  London  was  uneventful.  At 
Euston  Station  we  were  met  by  Captain  Robinson. 
We  went  into  a  private  waiting-room  where  Captain 
Robinson  signed  a  paper  for  the  Lieutenant-governor. 
It  was  what  amounted  to  a  receipt  for  the  prison's  de- 
livery of  me  into  his  hands.  Then  the  lieutenant- 
governor  left  us;  then  Robinson  left,  after  handing 
over  an  envelope  containing  cash  and  instructions. 

I  was  alone  and  free.  I  could  then  and  there  have 
disappeared.  Obviously  the  English  government 
trusted  me  fully. 

My  first  move  was  to  register  at  the  Russel  Square 
Hotel.  Opening  the  envelope  in  my  rooms,  I  found  it 
contained  ten  pounds  and  the  following  instruc- 
tions : 

"  Telephone  at  10.30  to-morrow  morning,  this  num- 
ber Mayf  air  — " 

I  telephoned  the  Mayfair  number  and  was  told  to 
hold  the  wire.  Then  Captain  Robinson  got  on  the 
'phone  and  told  me  to  meet  him  at  luncheon  that  day 
at  one  o'clock  at  the  Imperial  Hotel.  There  an- 
other gentleman  joined  us  —  a  Mr.  Morgan,  whom 
I  easily  judged  and  afterwards  knew  to  be  of  the 
English  Secret  Service.  Presently  Morgan  told 

197 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAE  OFFICE 

me  that  I  was  to  drive  with  Captain  Robinson  to 
Downing  Street  that  afternoon. 

"  One  of  our  ministers  wishes  to  see  you,"  he  ex- 
plained. 

We  drove  to  Downing  Street,  Captain  Robinson  and 
I,  and  stopped  before  the  historic  governmental  build- 
ing. After  we  had  signed  the  book  that  all  visitors  to 
"  Downing  Street "  must  sign,  I  was  ushered  into  an 
anteroom  and  Robinson  took  his  leave.  My  name  ap- 
pears on  this  book  as  Trenton  Snell,  and  if  the  English 
government  challenges  a  statement  that  I  shall  sub- 
sequently make,  let  them  produce  the  "  Downing 
Street"  book  for  the  date  I  shall  mention,  let  them 
have  a  handwriting  expert  compare  the  name  "  Tren- 
ton Snell "  with  my  handwriting. 

I  make  this  statement  for  what  followed  is  of 
tremendous  importance. 

After  a  twenty-minute  wait,  which  impressed  me  as 
being  different  from  the  slam-in-and-slam-out  methods 
of  the  Wilhelmstrasse,  I  was  shown  up  a  flight  of 
stairs.  The  attendant  knocked  en  the  door,  opened  it 
and  announced  "  The  gentleman." 

I  was  facing  Sir  Edward  Grey. 

He  was  seated  behind  a  big  green-covered  mahog- 
any desk.  I  noticed  that  the  room  seemed  like  a  pri- 
vate library ;  books,  memorandas,  letters  and  dispatch 
cases  littered  not  only  the  desk  but  the  tables  and 
chairs.  The  eye  was  struck  by  a  huge  piece  of  furni- 
ture, a  tall  leather-covered  easy  chair.  I  present  these 
details  for  obvious  reasons. 

198 


MY  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


Sir  Edward,  looking  small  in  the  big  armchair, 
was  seated  with  his  legs  crossed.  He  was  reading 
some  document  and  without  a  sign  of  recognition  he 
kept  me  standing  there,  it  must  hare  been  ten  minutes. 
I  noticed  that  he  glanced  at  me  now  and  then  above 
the  top  of  the  paper.  Abruptly  he  told  me  to  have  a 
seat.  When  I  said  that  I  preferred  to  stand,  he 
nodded  and  pulling  open  a  drawer  took  from  it  a 
folder  that,  as  subsequent  events  verified,  I  suspected 
to  be  a  report  on  me.  There  was  another  period  dur- 
ing which  he  seemed  to  be  unaware  of  my  presence, 
and  I  took  advantage  of  it  to  size  up  my  man.  He  im- 
pressed me  as  being  one  of  those  intolerable,  typically 
English  icicles,  which  only  that  nation  seems  able  to 
produce  in  her  public  servants.  Presumably  through 
a  century-long  contact  with  the  races  of  the  East,  the 
English  diplomat  of  the  Sir  Edward  Grey  type  pre- 
sents the  bland,  imperturbable,  non-committal,  almost 
inane  expression  of  the  Oriental  that  hardly  gives  one 
any  criterion  of  the  tremendous  power  of  perception 
and  concentration  beneath  the  mask. 

After  twirling  his  fingers,  he  said: 

"  I  presume  you  are  familiar  with  Germany's  naval 
activity." 

"  Up  to  a  certain  point,  sir." 

"  What  point?  "  he  asked  quickly. 

"  I  am  familiar  only  with  the  Intelligence  Depart- 
ment of  the  Admiralty,"  I  replied. 

"  Their  system?  "  he  asked.  "  Is  it  so  extensive  and 
efficient  as  we  have  been  led  to  believe?  " 

199 


THE  SECBETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

"  That  cannot  be  exaggerated." 

At  this  Sir  Edward  began  to  throw  out  innuendoes 
to  which  I  replied  in  like  vein.  The  interview  was 
not  progressing.  Finally  he  came  out  with  what  was 
in  his  mind. 

"  Do  you  know  if  any  officials  or  naval  officers  are 
selling  or  negotiating  to  sell  information  to  Foreign 
Intelligence  Departments?" 

Although  he  had  not  said  English  officers  or  of- 
ficials, I  knew  what  he  meant,  but  I  made  up  my  mind 
not  to  tell  everything  I  knew. 

"  There  are  such,"  I  replied. 

It  had  the  effect  of  making  him  look  at  me  in  a  most 
startled  manner. 

"  How  do  you  know  that?  On  what  grounds  do  you 
make  that  assertion?"  His  agitation  was  ill-con- 
cealed. 

"I  have  no  specific  proof,"  I  replied —  (which  I 
had)  — "but  from  information  that  has  been  gained, 
from  plans  that  have  been  secured  —  plans  like  those 
of  your  battleships  Queen  Mary  and  Ajax  —  it  is 
obvious  that  these  things  have  been  done  with  the 
cooperation  of  high  officials  of  your  country." 

He  pressed  me  for  further  details,  but  I  withheld 
them.  I  could  have  told  him  a  pretty  story  about  the 
plans  of  the  Queen  Mary  and  Ajax.  He  fell  to  study- 
ing a  rather  voluminous  report;  then  he  began  anew 
with  his  innuendoes.  I  guessed  what  was  coming. 
Although  his  speech  was  more  prolonged  than  I  shall 
now  present  it,  this  is  the  gist  of  what  he  asked : 

200 


MY  BETRAYAL  IN  ENGLAND 


"  Were  you  ever  present  at  conferences  attended  by 
high  officials?  Were  you,  for  instance,  at  the 
Schlangenbad  meeting?  Have  you  any  data?  Any 
documentary  evidence  of  having  been  there?" 

I  was  not  a  bit  startled.  I  had  guessed  it  would  be 
that.  His  very  question  showed  that  it  was  useless 
for  me  to  deny  that  I  had  been  at  the  Black  Forest 
conference.  Possibly  Churchill,  recalling  my  meeting 
him  during  the  Boer  War,  had  dropped  a  word  about 
this  coincidence  to  his  Lordship.  Naturally  I  told 
him  I  possessed  no  such  data.  Still  I  did  not  like  the 
trend  of  his  talk.  I  began  to  suspect  that  this  British 
Minister  was  doing  one  of  two  things.  Either  he  did 
not  know  everything  about  the  Black  Forest  meeting 
—  (not  at  all  improbable  with  the  conditions  existing 
in  England's  cabinet  at  that  time)  —  or  else  he  wanted 
to  learn  if  I  knew  the  tenor  of  that  conference.  In 
either  case  it  was  one  of  those  occasions  where  I 
deemed  it  wise  to  keep  my  own  counsel. 

After  many  searching  questions  upon  the  French 
system  and  her  army  and  navy,  he  began  to  try  to  lead 
me  to  make  comparisons  between  their  strength  and 
England's,  these  being  based  upon  my  personal  ob- 
servations. This,  and  the  whole  trend  of  his  thought, 
led  me  to  suspect  that  Sir  Edward  Grey  was  in  no- 
ways sure  in  his  own  mind  or  favorable  to  the  Ger- 
man-English alliance.  With  men  like  his  Lordship, 
personal  antipathy  plays  a  powerful  part  in  such 
matters. 

He  then  began  to  try  to  make  me  divulge  the  con- 

201 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

tents  of  any  personal  dispatches  I  had  carried  for  the 
German  Emperor. 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  asked  abruptly,  "  if  the  German 
Emperor  ever  communicates  with  Viscount  Hal- 
dane? " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

He  leaned  forward  eagerly. 

"  How  and  under  what  circumstances?  " 

"Why,  I  thought  it  common  knowledge  that  they 
often  correspond.  They  are  good  friends." 

"  Not  that.  I  mean  direct  secret  communications 
between  them,  concerning  affairs  of  the  state." 

I  denied  any  knowledge  of  this,  although  I  knew  it 
to  be  so. 

He  began  his  fishing  around  again  and  his  hints 
found  me  very  stupid. 

My  unsatisfactory  answers  seemed  to  displease  Sir 
Edward  Grey,  for  with  true  British  discourtesy  he 
abruptly  began  working  at  something  on  his  desk  and 
without  even  saying  good  day,  let  a  commissaire  bow 
me  out. 

A  few  days  later  I  received  definite  instructions 
from  Captain  Kobinson.  I  was  to  go  on  my  first  mis- 
sion in  the  interests  of  the  British  Secret  Service  and 
subsequently  another  mission  brought  me  to  New 
York,  where  I  resigned  from  service  permanently. 


202 


XI 
TO  NEW  YORK  FOR  ENGLAND 

IT  was  in  December,  1912,  that  I  again  felt  the 
thrill  of  the  old  game  as  I  moved  about  London 
under  the  plausible  name  of  "  Trenton  Snell,"  en- 
gaged in  guarding  or  obtaining  state  secrets,  but  this 
time  for  a  new  master.  English  secret  agents  are 
allowed  liberal  expense  money  and  my  work  in  Lon- 
don and  other  points  in  the  British  Isles  was  not  so 
arduous  as  to  prevent  my  taking  frequent  holidays. 
I  judged  that  Downing  Street  was  holding  me  for 
something  big  should  the  occasion  arise.  In  London, 
my  chief  work  for  a  time  was  counteracting  the 
machinations  and  influences  of 'German  agents,  for- 
ever infesting  the  British  capital.  Many  a  neat  little 
plan  inspired  by  the  gentlemen  of  the  Wilhelmstrasse 
went  wrong  during  those  next  few  weeks  and  back 
in  Berlin  they  began  to  think  that  their  spies  had  lost 
their  cunning. 

During  this  period  I  was  under  the  direct  orders 
of  Captain  Robinson,  who,  you  will  recall,  had  been 
the  go-between  for  Downing  Street  in  closing  the 
bargain  for  my  release  from  Barlinney  Prison.  Rob- 
inson, an  ex-captain  of  the  Hussars,  was  well  up  in 

203 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

subterranean  affairs  and  to  him  Sir  Edward  Grey 
was  no  stranger. 

Along  in  January  there  came  to  the  ears  of  Down- 
ing Street  rumors  of  a  possible  meeting  between 
German  and  Japanese  envoys.  Moreover,  the  meet- 
ing ground  was  to  be  the  United  States.  It  may  sur- 
prise Americans  to  learn  that  of  late  years  their 
country  has  become  a  favorite  meeting  place  for  Eu- 
ropean diplomats,  secret  and  otherwise.  These  men 
invariably  sail  from  Europe,  remarking  something 
about  taking  a  trip  to  the  Rockies  or  visiting  some 
noted  fishing  streams.  They  may  be  going  into 
Canada  or  the  Western  States  for  the  shooting;  and 
when  these  gentlemen  leave  Europe  on  these  little 
"  vacations "  they  are  generally  shadowed,  or  at- 
tempts are  made  to  shadow  them.  In  the  course  of 
a  few  days  after  the  English  foreign  office  learned  of 
the  supposed  meeting  of  German  and  Japanese 
agents  to  be  held  in  America,  I  received  official  in- 
structions. They  were  sharp  and  very  much  to  the 
point.  I  was  to  find  out  what  the  meeting  in  the 
United  States  was  about,  and,  if  possible,  to  learn  the 
nature  of  the  diplomatic  proposals  likely  to  be  con- 
sidered by  Japan  and  Germany.  England  herself 
having  an  alliance  pending  with  Germany,  was  de- 
cidedly wary  of  this  new  diplomatic  conversation 
with  the  yellow  empire  of  the  Pacific.  What  was  in 
the  wind?  Why  was  Germany  conniving  secretly 
with  Japan?  What  effect  would  it  have  on  the  Eng- 
lish-Austrian-German  alliance  secretly  discussed  in 

204 


GENERALS  VON  HEERINGEN  AND  VON  MOLTKI-: 

Two    famous    military   men    who   figured    largely    in 
Germany's  war  plans  during  Dr.  Graves'  service 


TO  NEW  YORK  FOR  ENGLAND 


the  Taunus   Hills  only   the  autumn  before.     Obvi- 
ously the  mission  was  an  important  one. 

The  first  step  was  to  locate  one  of  the  German  en- 
voys. To  do  this  I  had  to  cross  to  the  Continent,  a 
dangerous  proceeding,  at  best,  for  there  were  abundant 
possibilities  of  recognition.  Especially  was  it  stick- 
ing one's  head  in  the  mouth  of  danger  to  be  seen  in 
Germany.  Nevertheless  to  Germany  I  had  to  go  to 
locate  my  man.  It  must  be  understood  that  the  big 
missions  of  Secret  Service  are  accomplished  by  many 
cooperating  agencies.  True,  Great  Britain  had  been 
rather  slow  in  perfecting  a  continental  system  of  es- 
pionage, but  by  1913  the  machinery  was  operating 
well.  Downing  Street  had  special  lines  of  intelli- 
gence from  all  the  European  capitals.  I  lost  no  time 
in  making  use  of  the  resources  of  these  lesser  agents, 
in  fact  a  system  of  spying  on  spies,  and  soon  had  in- 
formation at  my  disposal  that  led  me  to  go  to  Berlin. 

It  was  in  Berlin  that  I  learned  that  a  man  known 
as  Carl  Schmidt  would  be  the  messenger  for  the  Wil- 
helmstrasse,  bearing  the  instructions  too  important  to 
be  trusted  to  transatlantic  cable  cipher.  Exercising 
infinite  care  and  tremendous  patience  —  for  should 
I  be  recognized  in  Berlin,  the  German  Foreign  Office 
would  have  been  thrown  into  consternation :  "  What's 
this?  A  man  we  believed  safely  looking  through  the 
bars  of  an  English  prison  is  at  large  in  our  own  cap- 
ital. Hm  " —  completely  effacing  myself  so  far  as 
possible,  I  managed  to  keep  track  of  the  whereabouts 
of  Carl  Schmidt. 

205 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GEEMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

It  was  drawing  near  to  February  4,  the  sailing  day 
of  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II,  and  I  kept  the  quarry  in 
sight  night  and  day.  It  was  with  the  most  satisfied 
of  smiles  therefore  that  I  ascertained  the  purchase 
of  railroad  accommodations  by  Carl  Schmidt  for 
Bremen,  the  sailing  port  of  the  big  North  German 
Lloyd  liner.  Taking  care  to  secure  a  seat  in  the 
same  compartment  with  Herr  Schmidt,  I  watched 
him  all  the  way  from  Berlin  to  Bremen.  Now,  when- 
ever I  have  carried  a  document  of  any  description 
while  traveling  for  any  length  of  time,  I  have  always 
let  my  hand  wander  toward  its  hiding  place  to  assure 
myself  that  it  was  still  there.  Sometimes  I  fished  in 
my  pockets  for  a  match,  or  used  any  pretext  to  locate 
the  paper  without  betraying  myself.  There  is  not  a 
human  being  who  will  not  give  some  little  sign  of 
concern,  perhaps  only  once  an  Jaour,  but  often  enough 
to  betray  himself  to  the  trained  observer.  Accord- 
ingly I  set  myself  to  watch  Carl  Schmidt's  hands. 
Not  for  a  minute  did  I  relax  my  vigilance,  yet  not 
once  on  the  way  to  Bremen  did  the  German  envoy 
betray  himself  by  an  apparent  motion.  Whereupon 
I  became  positive  that  Herr  Schmidt  had  not  the 
document  upon  his  person.  Where  then  was  it? 

It  was  an  easy  matter  at  the  steamship  offices  to 
find  out  the  number  of  Schmidt's  stateroom.  He 
had  engaged  room  48  on  the  first  promenade  deck. 
I  immediately  asked  for  the  rooms  on  the  other  side, 
and  by  a  judicious  use  of  my  favorite  "  palm  oil "  I 
secured  them.  It  was  imperative  now  to  board  the 

206 


TO  NEW  YORK  FOR  ENGLAND 


steamer  and  keeping  out  of  sight  until  she  left  port. 
I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  try  and  obtain  the  docu- 
ment between  Bremen  and  Cherbourg.  This  being 
successful  I  should  be  able  to  leave  the  ship  at  the 
latter  port  and  return  at  once  to  London. 

From  the  moment  the  big  North  German  Lloyd 
liner  steamed  out  of  port,  I  kept  a  close  watch  on 
Schmidt,  still  to  no  purpose.  There  was  only  one 
moment  day  or  night,  when  the  messenger  left  his 
dispatch  box  unguarded  and  when  I  finally  got  at  it, 
I  found  no  document.  Obviously  the  dispatch  box 
was  a  blind.  Herr  Schmidt  was  not  guilty  of  a  sin- 
gle piece  of  carelessness  that  would  betray  the  hiding 
place  of  the  dossier.  All  this  had  to  be  done  between 
Bremen  and  Cherbourg,  and  when  the  liner  pulled 
into  the  French  harbor  nothing  had  been  accom- 
plished. It  was  a  question  of  remaining  on  board 
and  solving  the  problem  before  reaching  New  York. 

Now  it  was  risky  business  to  attempt  anything  for 
the  next  few  days  for  I  was  traveling  on  a  ship  of  a 
line  that  was  subsidized  by  the  German  government. 
Once  Herr  Schmidt  realized  that  there  was  anything 
in  the  wind,  it  would  mean  a  check  to  my  activities. 
Schmidt  could  send  a  wireless  message  to  the  Wil- 
helmstrasse,  and  back  would  be  flashed  a  message  to 
the  captain  of  the  Kaiser  Wilhclm  II  authorizing  any 
action  Schmidt  deemed  advisable.  Thus  could  he 
easily  put  me  under  custody  on  some  trumped-up 
charge.  Still,  there  was  no  risk  involved  in  watch- 
ing Schmidt  to  locate  a  possible  confederate  who  was 

207 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 


carrying  the  dossier.  I  watched  him  unceasingly 
but  confederates  there  were  none.  Only  one  play 
remained  and  to  make  it  I  must  wait  patiently  until 
the  ship  was  almost  at  its  dock  in  New  York.  Then 
Herr  Schmidt  could  use  the  wireless  and  command 
the  captain's  assistance  to  his  heart's  content.  It 
would  be  too  late. 

During  the  few  days  immediately  following,  I  kept 
my  activities  well  concealed.  In  fact,  I  made  it  my 
business  to  avoid  Schmidt.  My  method  of  handling 
the  situation  did  not  necessitate  my  striking  up  an 
acquaintance  with  the  man.  On  the  contrary  to 
disarm  him  of  all  possible  suspicions  I  shunned  him. 
I  even  contrived  not  to  sit  at  Herr  Schmidt's  table  in 
the  dining  salon.  Meanwhile,  Kobinson,  back  in 
Downing  Street,  kept  his  hands  on  the  situation, 
sending  me  two  wireless  messages  on  board  the 
steamer. 

All  dispatches  sent  to  "  Buzzing "  London,  find 
their  way  to  Downing  Street.  It  was  very  probable 
that  being  in  the  diplomatic  service,  Herr  Schmidt 
would  know  this  term  "  Buzzing."  I  thought  it  un- 
wise to  risk  a  reply.  So  I  kept  in  the  dark  waiting 
for  my  chance.  During  the  voyage  nothing  had  oc- 
curred to  arouse  the  suspicions  of  Herr  Schmidt  and 
he  began  to  relax  his  vigilance  after  the  ship  was 
four  days  out.  But  I  was  careful  not  to  take  the 
slightest  advantage  of  his  ease  at  this  point.  I 
would  wait  until  the  ship  was  almost  in  port;  then 
make  my  play. 

208 


TO  NEW  YORK  FOR  ENGLAND 


To  prepare  for  this  I  had  days  ago  begun  to  cul- 
tivate the  acquaintance  of  one  of  the  baggage  men. 
This  man  at  once  attracted  me  by  his  shifty  eyes  and 
unhealthy  red  complexion.  It  has  often  been  a  Se- 
cret Service  precept  with  me :  "  Give  me  a  hard 
drinker  or  a  man  who  is  fast  and  I'll  land  him  nine 
times  out  of  ten."  Well,  the  baggage  master  was  no 
exception.  I  decided  to  ply  him  with  liquor  to  make 
his  tongue  run  away.  I  made  it  my  business  to  see 
that  this  particular  baggage  man  was  in  an  incompe- 
tent state  afternoon  and  night.  One  night  as  he  was 
chin-chucking  a  stewardess  with  whom  he  was  in- 
fatuated, this  red-faced  gentleman  said: 

"  Well,  Doctor,  we're  going  to  get  married,  the  lit- 
tle lady  and  I.  We're  going  to  set  up  in  business. 
Do  you  know  of  any  small  hotel  that  we  could  buy 
cheap?  " 

At  this  I  was  all  attention ;  I  had  been  waiting  for 
some  lead  of  this  sort. 

"Ho,  friend,"  I  said;  "ready  to  buy  a  hotel  eh? 
There  must  be  plenty  of  gold  in  your  job." 

The  lout  winked  heavily. 

"  Sure,"  he  said.  "  Just  as  we  are  about  to 
reach  port  we  ask  everybody  on  board  to  prepare  for 
us  a  statement  of  the  things  they  have  to  declare. 
We  give  it  to  the  customs  officers  when  they  come  on 
board  in  the  Lower  Bay  of  New  York.  Well,  some 
of  those  fancy  rich  people  always  want  to  do  a  bit 
of  smuggling  and  don't  declare  lots  of  things.  I 
have  known  that  for  years.  What  do  I  do?"  Be- 

209 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

coming  boastful,  he  patted  the  stewardess  on  the 
shoulder,  at  which  she  glanced  at  me  a  little  fright- 
ened. She  seemed  to  realize  that  her  future  spouse 
was  talking  too  much.  She  tried  to  remonstrate 
with  him  but  he  was  too  full  of  his  theme  and  good 
spirits. 

"  Nonsense,  my  girl ;  I  will  tell  my  friend.  Aren't 
we  all  drinking  together?  " 

Turning  once  more  to  me  he  said : 

"What  do  I  do,  Doctor.  Well,  first  I  look  over 
the  lot  of  declarations.  Then  I  pick  out  two  or  three 
that  look  pretty  good.  I  make  a  list  of  the  things 
they  claim  to  have  in  their  trunks.  Then  I  get  at 
their  baggage  and  give  it  a  smash,  accidentally  of 
course  —  things  are  apt  to  be  broken  in  the  hold  you 
know,  the  boat  pitching,  carelessness  by  the  porters 
and  all  that.  So  the  luggage  of  my  fancy  folks  is 
broken  open.  We  look  it  over.  If  my  lady  has  held 
out  anything  from  her  declaration,  out  of  the  trunk 
that  comes  and  into  my  private  quarters." 

I  winked  knowingly  as  if  to  praise  his  cleverness. 

"  We  reach  the  bay ;  the  customs  officers  come  on 
board.  We  give  them  all  the  declarations.  The 
fancy  folks  are  standing  round  their  baggage  wait- 
ing for  the  customs  man  to  get  through.  Suddenly 
one  of  them  cries : 

"  '  Oh,  my  sealskin  coat  is  gone ! ' 

"  I  step  up  and  politely  say : 

"  '  But  you  must  be  mistaken.  Madame  said  noth- 

210 


TO  NEW  YORK  FOR  ENGLAND 


ing  about  a  sealskin  coat  on  her  declaration  so  she 
could  not  have  had  one.' 

"  Ha !  Ha !  The  customs  man  hears  this  so  she 
can  say  nothing.  Finish!  Ah  yes,  your  old  friend 
baggage  man  knows  a  thing  or  two." 

Needless  to  say  this  was  all  grist  to  my  mill.  It 
was  just  what  I  wanted.  When  the  ship  was  a  day 
from  New  York,  I  said  to  the  rascal : 

"  My  friend,  I  want  to  look  at  the  luggage  of  Carl 
Schmidt  for  ten  minutes.  It  is  check  number  31694 
and  is  a  kiste." 

The  baggage  man  was  very  sorry  but  that  could 
not  be  done.  If  it  were  found  out  he  would  lose  his 
position. 

"  Either  I  get  at  that  kiste,"  I  said,  "  or  up  you 
go." 

The  baggage  man  attempted  to  bluster. 

"  No  heroics  now,  my  friend,"  I  smiled.  "  I  know 
enough  about  you  and  your  little  ingenious  piece  of 
graft  to  tell  a  pretty  story  at  the  North  German 
Lloyd  offices  in  New  York.  Now  do  I  get  a  look  at 
Herr  Schmidt's  kiste?  " 

With  a  growl  the  baggage  man  yielded,  whereupon 
I  gave  him  $75  to  bind  the  bargain  and  handed  the 
stewardess  $25  so  as  to  assure  her  support.  Still,  it 
would  not  do  to  meddle  with  the  chest  until  the  liner 
was  steaming  into  port,  for  were  Schmidt  to  discover 
that  his  luggage  had  been  tampered  with  and  the  dis- 
patch abstracted,  since  by  the  process  of  elimination 

211 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

I  concluded  it  must  be  there,  the  alarm  would  go 
throughout  the  ship  and  every  passenger  would  be 
searched.  Remember  this  was  a  German  reserve 
ship. 

The  chance  came  after  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II  had 
steamed  past  Sandy  Hook  and  was  moving  up  the 
Lower  Bay  of  New  York.  With  his  destination  in 
sight,  with  no  signs  in  any  way  suspicious  during  the 
trip  over,  Herr  Schmidt  had  become  very  easy  in 
mind.  With  many  of  the  other  passengers  he  went 
forward  and  from  the  deck  watched  the  looming 
horizon  of  New  York's  skyscrapers.  A  most  inter- 
esting sight  the  skyline,  something  to  engross  your 
attention.  I  was  interested  in  something  else. 

I  was  interested  in  the  luggage  that  was  being  pre- 
pared for  the  customs  officers.  On  a  lower  deck  the 
kiste  of  Carl  Schmidt  had  been  conveniently  set  apart 
from  the  other  trunks  and  boxes  and  the  German 
agent  himself  was  waiting  for  the  customs  man  to 
pass  upon  it.  This  done,  Schmidt  was  guilty  of  an 
unwarrantable  piece  of  carelessness.  He  tipped  the 
baggage  master  and  left  him  to  lock  up  the  kiste 
while  he  went  up  on  the  promenade  deck  to  enjoy  the 
view.  This  did  not  surprise  me,  for  I  had  been  ex- 
pecting some  such  blunder  to  make  my  way  easier. 
I  had  conjectured  as  nothing  had  occurred  during  the 
entire  voyage  to  excite  Schmidt's  suspicions  that  he 
wrould  be  careless  as  his  destination  was  neared. 

Accordingly,  when  I  saw  him  leave  his  luggage  to 
the  mercies  of  the  baggage  man,  I  stepped  forward. 

212 


TO  NEW  YORK  FOR  ENGLAND 


Quite  unconcernedly  in  view  of  the  other  passengers 
who  were  still  standing  waiting  their  turn,  acting 
entirely  as  if  it  were  my  own,  I  opened  the  unlocked 
kiste  and  rummaging  among  its  contents  soon 
brought  to  light  a  plain,  large  envelope  sealed  with 
wax.  Breaking  the  seal  I  took  out  the  only  paper  it 
contained,  glanced  at  it,  smiled  to  myself  and  went  to 
work  —  swift  work,  for  at  any  moment  Schmidt 
might  return. 

If  I  had  not  made  my  plans  long  ahead,  the  simple 
taking  of  the  document  would  only  have  added  to  the 
problem.  Understand,  I  did  not  want  to  steal  the 
document,  merely  its  contents.  Now,  in  the  brief 
minutes  that  I  had  beside  the  luggage,  it  was  impos- 
sible to  memorize  all  the  contents  of  the  document. 
So  I  judged  would  be  the  case  and  I  had  come  pre- 
pared. 

Under  my  arm  was  a  popular  novel  and  between 
the  pages  of  this  lay  a  sheet  of  special  lotion  paper, 
chemically  treated  in  a  way  known  only  to  the  Ger- 
man Secret  Service  and  capable  of  taking  a  quick 
clean  print  of  anything  written  in  pencil  or  ink.  As 
I  lifted  the  dossier  from  the  kiste  I  noticed  that  it 
was  embossed  on  a  greenish  white  paper,  not  unlike 
a  bank  of  England  note  in  color.  It  was  written  in 
German  and  signed  with  a  foreign  office  cipher,  the 
letters  W  and  R  intertwined.  Following  this  was 
the  numeral  24,  the  Wilhelmstrasse  serial  number  of 
the  document. 

Taking  a  chance  that  Herr  Schmidt  would  be  fas- 

213 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

cinated  just  a  minute  longer  by  the  magic  skyline  of 
New  York,  I  slipped  the  dossier  against  the  special 
lotion  paper  and  took  an  accurate  print  by  sitting  on 
it  for  two  minutes.  I  then  replaced  the  document 
in  the  dispatch  envelope  and  being  sure  to  leave 
everything  appearing  as  it  was,  even  to  fixing  the 
broken  seal  as  best  I  could,  lest  by  chance  Herr 
Schmidt  should  return  and  glance  at  his  kiste. 

It  was  a  case  now  of  getting  safely  off  the  ship 
and  reaching  the  nearest  cable  office  for  had  Schmidt 
suspected  anything,  the  boat  would  never  have 
docked  until  everybody  on  board  had  been  searched. 
There  was  small  danger  of  this,  however,  for  nothing 
had  occurred  to  alarm  Herr  Schmidt.  The  lotion 
paper  used  by  the  German  Secret  Service  has  been 
perfected  to  such  an  extent  that  when  taking  the 
print  it  does  not  leave  any  signs  on  the  original.  Ac- 
cordingly, there  would  likely  not  have  been  a  clew  — 
only  on  close  scrutiny  would  it  be  seen  that  the  seal 
had  been  tampered  with  —  even  had  Schmidt  exam- 
ined his  kiste  again  before  landing. 

My  luggage  passed,  I  made  my  way  to  the  nearest 
cable  office  outside  the  zone  of  the  steamship  offices. 
At  Fourteenth  Street  and  Broadway  I  entered  a 
Western  Union  office  and  wrote  out  this  message  to 
"  Buzzing  "  London.  A  copy  of  this  being  herewith 
reproduced : 

February  12,  1913. 
Buzzing,   London. 
Obtained  sample.    Letter  most  important.    Not  safe  writing.    Will 

214 


TO  NEW  YORK  FOR  ENGLAND 


take   to-morrow   night's    steamer    Queenstown.     Not   sufficient    fare. 
Wire  twenty-five  pounds  W.  Union,  Broadway  14th. 

TBENTON   SNELL. 

It  may  be  of  interest  to  note  that  at  the  time  of  my 
announcing  my  presence  in  this  country  through  the 
medium  of  the  New  York  American  that  a  copy  of 
this  dispatch  was  secured  from  the  cable  company; 
also  that  Hearst  reporters  identified  me  at  the  cable 
office  as  "  Trenton  Snell." 

When  I  presented  myself  at  the  Fourteenth  Street 
office  the  next  day  I  received  this  message : 

London,  Eng.,  February  13,  1913. 
Trenton  Snell, 

W.  U.  14  Bway. 

Cable  some  details  if  possible,  come  London,  can't  meet  you  Queens- 
town.  ROBINSON. 
(The  above  message  accompanies  Cable  remittance  this  date.) 

The  British  Foreign  Office  replying  to  my  request 
for  further  funds  had  cabled  the  twenty-five  pounds 
which  less  exchange  came  to  |121.75.  At  the  West- 
ern Union  office  at  Fourteenth  Street  I  was  paid 
check  number  262  to  the  order  of  Trenton  Snell  from 
"  Rob  Robinson  "  London.  Now  being  on  alien  ter- 
ritory, I  refrained  from  sending  a  copy  of  the  stolen 
dispatch  by  cable.  There  would  be  no  aid  of  se- 
crecy from  the  cable  company.  I  had  planned  to 
enclose  the  copy  by  registered  mail,  sending  it  to  Box 
356,  G.  P.  O.,  London,  which  was  the  address  of  the 
department  of  the  Foreign  Office  for  which  I  worked, 
but  Robinson  demanded  immediate  details.  Accord- 
ingly I  sent  back  this  wire : 

215 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

Buzzing,  London. 

Right.     Will   wire   from   Canada.     British   Territory. 

TRENTOX  SWELL. 

That  was  imperative,  for  only  in  Canada  could  I 
secure  a  guarantee  of  secrecy  for  so  important  a  mes- 
sage as  that  which  I  would  send.  Before  cabling 
the  details  and  mailing  the  original,  I  made  a  copy 
of  the  document.  It  was  not  worded  in  the  official 
diplomatic  form.  Bather  it  appeared  to  be  a  note 
of  memoranda  and  instruction  that  was  to  guide  the 
German  envoys  in  their  meeting  with  the  Japanese 
—  which  meeting  was  subsequently  held  at  the  Hotel 
Astor,  in  New  York  City,  and  to  which  meeting  went 
the  German  envoys,  instructed  by  the  document 
which  Herr  Schmidt  thought  he  delivered  so  secretly 
and  trustworthily.  This  is  it;  word  for  word,  as  it 
was  copied  from  the  print  taken  in  the  Herr 
Schmidt's  stateroom: 

Germany  sanctions  and  will  not  obstruct  Japan  in  any  colonization 
intention  Japan  entertained  as  regards  the  Far  East,  and  would  not 
obstruct  the  acquiring  of  coaling  stations  in  the  South  Seas  other 
than  New  Guinea  and  the  Bismarck  Archipelago.  Germany  would 
not  prevent  the  acquisition  of  Germany  vessels  by  Japan  providing 
such  vessels  were  not  auxiliary  cruisers  of  the  Imperial  German 
Navy. 

Germany  wishes  it  understood  that  in  the  event  of  a  conflict  be- 
tween Japan  and  another  nation,  Germany  will  maintain  a  strict 
neutrality  in  any  event  not  affecting  Germany  itself.  Germany 
expresses  a  higher  regard  for  the  Japanese  nation  and  desires  closer 
contact  with  Japan. 

This  document,  as  has  been  stated,  was  initialed 
with  the  letters  W  and  R,  which  is  sometimes  the  way 

216 


TO  NEW  YORK  FOR  ENGLAND 


the  Kaiser  O.  K.'s  any  diplomatic  document.  In 
any  event  it  had  a  regular  serial  number;  in  this  in- 
stance number  twenty-four  of  the  German  Foreign 
Office. 

Of  course  the  acquisition  of  this  document  by  Great 
Britain  relieved  the  minds  of  the  English  states- 
man. There  was  not  as  they  had  feared  a  possible 
menace  in  understanding  between  Germany  and  Ja- 
pan. It  was  simply  an  agreement  by  Germany  not 
to  intervene  in  any  colonization  scheme  of  the  Japa- 
nese in  the  islands  of  the  Pacific.  In  return  for  this 
it  was  understood  that  Japan  was  to  do  even  more 
thoroughly  what  she  has  done  in  the  past.  In  other 
words,  she  must  go  on  playing  the  role  of  bogieman 
for  the  United  States.  A  word  about  this  may  not 
be  out  of  place. 

Germany,  that  is  official  Germany,  is  rather 
friendly  toward  the  United  States.  Japan,  the  "  yel- 
low peril "  is  a  great  war  dirigible  that  is  inflated 
with  war  scares  and  hysteria.  This  aims  to  keep 
the  United  States  preoccupied  on  their  Western 
coastline,  so  they  will  not  have  any  desire  to  meddle 
with  certain  plans  that  may  eventuate  in  Europe 
within  the  next  few  years.  The  Japanese  question 
is  fostered  by  Europe  to  keep  America's  hands  full 
in  the  event  of  the  coming  European  war.  It  is  all 
bluff  and  occasionally  Japan  must  be  rewarded  for 
keeping  up  the  bluff.  In  this  instance  Germany  per- 
mitted Japan  to  colonize  and  permitted  her  to  buy 
all  the  German  ships  she  wranted  with  the  exception 

217 


of  those  big  transatlantic  liners  that  are  auxiliary 
cruisers  of  the  German  navy,  ships  which  in  time 
of  war  may  be  transformed  at  short  notice  into  good 
fighting  machines.  Let  me  emphasize  with  all  due 
knowledge  of  the  alarmist's  fears  that  United  States 
need  never  fear  the  "  Yellow  Peril "  as  long  as  she 
does  not  antagonize  the  dominant  powers  of  Europe. 


218 


XII 
"THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE" 

THE  numerical  strength,  disposition  and  effi- 
ciency of  the  German  army  are  more  or  less  well 
known.  The  brain  and  all  prevailing  power  con- 
trolling its  fighting  force  of  four  and  half  a  million 
men  —  or  taking  the  Triple  Alliance  into  considera- 
tion —  the  forces  of  which  would  in  the  event  of  war 
be  controlled  from  Berlin  —  a  force  in  round  num- 
bers of  9,000,000  men  is,  however,  not  known.  Here 
for  the  first  time  is  published  an  account  of  the  in- 
side workings  of  the  German  War  Machine  as  far 
as  is  possible  for  any  one  man  to  give.  Through  my 
intimate  connections  with  the  German  and  other  Se- 
cret Service  systems;  through  constant  contact  with 
prominent  army  and  navy  officers,  I  had  special  fa- 
cilities of  which  I  availed  myself  to  the  full,  to  gain 
the  inside  knowledge  which  I  here  commit  to  paper. 

The  most  efficient  and  elaborate  system,  ever  de- 
vised by  the  ingenuity  of  man,  used  not  only  for  war 
and  destruction  but  as  an  intelligence  clearing  house 
for  the  whole  of  the  Empire,  is  the  German  War 
Machine.  Conceived  by  General  Stein  in  the  days  of 
the  Napoleonic  wars,  added  to  and  elaborated  by 
successive  administrations,  solely  under  the  control 

219 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

of  the  ruling  house,  its  efficiency,  perfect  and  smooth 
working  is  due  to  the  total  absence  of  political  ma- 
chinations or  preferences.  Brains,  ability,  and  thor- 
ough scientific  knowledge  are  the  only  passports  for 
entrance  in  the  Grosser  General  Stab,  the  General 
Staff  of  the  German  Empire.  You  will  find  blooded 
young  officers  and  gray-haired  generals  past  active 
efficiency,  experts  ranking  from  an  ordinary  mechanic 
to  the  highest  engineering  expert,  all  working  har- 
moniously together  with  one  end  in  view,  the  acme 
of  efficiency.  Controlled  and  directed  by  the  War 
Lord  in  person  through  the  Chef  des  Grossen  Gen- 
eral Stabs,  in  my  time  General  Field  Marshal  von 
Heeringen,  this  immense  machine,  the  pulsing  brain 
of  a  fighting  force  of  four  and  half  a  millions  of  men, 
is  composed  of  from  180  to  200  officials. 

At  the  Peace  of  Tilsit,  after  the  crushing  defeat  of 
the  Prussian  armies  at  Prussian  Eylau  and  Fried- 
land,  Bonaparte  had  Prussia  and  the  whole  of  Cen- 
tral Europe  at  his  mercy.  Contrary  to  the  advice 
of  his  generals,  especially  the  succinct  advice  of  his 
often  unheeded  mentor  Talleyrand,  to  completely  dis- 
integrate Prussia,  Napoleon  through  his  fondness  for 
pretty  women  let  himself  be  tricked  by  Louise  of  Prus- 
sia. The  interesting  historical  story  of  this  incident 
may  be  apropos  here,  showing  how  the  world's  history 
can  be  changed  through  a  kiss.  At  the  Peace  Con- 
ference in  Tilsit,  Napoleon,  on  the  verge  of  disinte- 
grating Prussia,  met  the  beautiful  Queen  Louise  of 
Prussia.  Through  her  pleadings  and  the  imprint  of 

220 


'THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE'5 


Napoleon's  kiss  on  her  classic  arm  Bonaparte  granted 
Prussia  the  right  to  maintain  a  standing  army  of 
12,000  men.  That  in  itself  did  not  mean  much  but 
it  gave  able  and  shrewd  Prussian  patriots  the  oppor- 
tunity to  circumvent  and  hoodwink  Bonaparte's  pol- 
icy. 

Prussia  has  always  been  fortunate  in  producing 
able  men  at  the  most  needed  moments.  A  man  arose 
with  a  gift  for  military  organization.  He  had  every 
province,  district,  town,  and  village  in  Prussia  care- 
fully scheduled  and  the  able-bodied  men  thereof  put 
on  record.  He  selected  the  12,000  men  permitted 
Prussia  under  the  Napoleonic  decree  and  drilled 
them.  No  sooner  were  those  men  drilled  than  they 
were  dismissed  and  another  12,000  called  in.  From 
this  point  dates  modern  conscription  —  the  father  of 
which  was  General  Stein  —  and  this  also  inaugurated 
the  birth  of  the  War  Machine.  In  the  three  years 
Prussia  had  180,000  well-drilled  men  and  120,000  re- 
serves, quite  a  different  proposition  from  the  12,000 
men  Napoleon  thought  he  had  to  face  on  his  retreat 
from  Moscow,  and  which  played  a  decisive  factor  in 
the  overthrow  of  the  dictator  of  Europe. 

Through  the  wars  of  1864  and  1866  to  1870,  the 
Franco-Prussian  War,  the  War  Machine  of  Prussia 
was  merged  into  that  of  the  German  Empire  and  is 
a  record  of  increasing  efforts,  entailing  unbelievable 
hard  work  and  a  compilation  of  the  minutest  details. 
The  modern  system  of  organization,  especially  the 
mobilization  schedules,  are  Helmuth  von  Moltke's, 

221 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

the  "  Grosse  Schweiger,"  the  Great  Silent,  the  strate- 
gist of  the  1871  campaign. 

It  is  curious  that  there  is  a  great  similarity  be- 
tween the  late  Moltke  and  Heeringen.  They  have  the 
same  aquiline  features,  tall,  thin,  dried-up  body,  the 
same  taciturn  disposition,  even  to  their  hobbies  — 
Moltke  being  an  incessant  chess  player,  Heeringen 
using  every  one  of  his  spare  moments  to  play  with 
lead  soldiers.  He  is  reputed  to  have  an  army  of 
30,000  lead  soldiers  with  which  he  plays  the  moment 
he  opens  his  eyes  —  much  in  the  same  manner  as 
Moltke,  who  used  to  request  his  chess-board  the  first 
thing  in  the  morning.  In  military  circles  Heeringen 
is  looked  upon  with  the  same  respect  and  accredited 
with  quite  as  much  strategical  knowledge  as  Moltke 
was.  It  is  a  significant  fact,  that,  whenever  there 
is  any  tension  in  Europe,  especially  between  Germany 
and  France,  General  von  Heeringen  or  his  comrade 
in  arms,  General  von  Thulsen  Haeseler  —  also  a  great 
strategist  and  iron  disciplinarian,  immediately  takes 
command  of  Metz,  the  most  important  base  and  mili- 
tary post  in  the  Emperor's  domain. 

There  is  no  man  alive  who  knows  one-half  as  much 
about  the  strategical  position  of  Metz  and  the  sur- 
rounding country  as  General  von  Heeringen.  Often 
on  stormy,  bitter  cold  winter  nights,  sentries  on  out- 
posts stationed  and  guarding  the  approaches  of  Metz 
are  startled  to  find  a  gaunt,  limping  figure,  covered 
in  a  gray  army  greatcoat  with  no  distinguishing 

222 


"THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE" 

marks,  stalking  along.  Accompanied  by  orderlies 
carrying  camp  stools  and  table,  night  glasses  and 
electric  torches,  halting  repeatedly,  hidden  men  taking 
down  in  writing  the  short,  croaking  sentences  escap- 
ing between  the  thin  compressed  lips,  the  "  Geist  of 
Metz  "  prowls  round  measuring  every  foot  of  ground 
fifty  miles  east,  west,  north,  and  south  of  his  be- 
loved Metz.  The  steel  tipped  arrow  ever  pointing  at 
the  heart  of  France  is  safe  in  the  hands  of  such  guard- 
ians. 

The  visible  head  of  this  vast  organization  is  called 
Der  Grosse  General  Stab  with  headquarters  in  Berlin. 
Each  army  corps  has  a  "kleine  General  Stab"  who 
sends  its  most  able  officers  to  Berlin.  These  officers, 
in  conjunction  with  the  most  able  scientists,  engineers, 
and  architects  the  Empire  can  produce,  compose  the 
Great  General  Staff.  The  virtual  head  is  the  Ger- 
man Emperor.  The  actual  executive  is  called  "  Chef 
des  Grossen  General  Stabs." 

There  is  a  small,  dingy,  unpretentious  room  in  the 
General  Staff  Gebaude  where  at  moments  of  stress 
and  tension  or  international  complications,  assemble 
five  men.  His  Majesty,  at  the  head  of  the  table;  to 
the  right  the  Chef  of  Grossen  General  Stab;  to  the 
left  his  Minister  of  War;  then  the  Minister  of  Rail- 
ways, and  the  Chief  of  Admiral  Stab.  You  will  no- 
tice the  total  absence  of  the  Ministers  of  Finance  and 
Diplomacy.  When  those  five  men  meet  the  influence 
of  diplomatic  and  financial  affairs  has  ceased.  They 

223 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

are  there  to  act.  The  scratching  of  the  Emperor's 
pen  in  that  room  means  war,  the  setting  in  motion 
of  a  fighting  force  of  5,000,000  men. 

Here  is  another  instance: 

When  the  feeling  and  stress  over  the  Moroccan 
question  was  at  its  height  General  von  Heeringen  on 
leaving  his  quarters  for  his  usual  drive  in  the  Thier- 
garten  was  eagerly  questioned  by  a  score  of  officers, 
awaiting  his  exit. 

"Excellency!    Geht's  los?"     ("Do  we  begin?") 

Grimly  smiling,  returning  their  salutes  and  with- 
out pause,  limping  to  his  waiting  carriage  came  his 
answer : 

"  Sieben  Buchstaben,  meine  Herren !  "  ( "  Seven 
letters,  gentlemen !  " ) 

In  Germany  military  parlance  this  means  the  Em- 
peror's signature,  Wilheim  II,  to  the  mobilization 
orders. 

In  order  to  give  the  reader  a  fairly  correct  view  of 
this  mighty  organization,  I  have  to  explain  each  group 
separately.  The  whole  system  rests  on  the  question 
of  mobilization,  meaning  the  ability  to  arm,  trans- 
port, clothe,  and  feed  a  fighting  force  of  four  and  one- 
half  million  men,  in  the  shortest  possible  time  on  any 
given  point  in  either  eastern  or  western  Europe. 
For  let  it  be  clearly  understood  that  the  main  point 
of  the  training  of  the  German  armies  is  the  readi- 
ness to  launch  the  entire  fighting  force  like  a  thunder- 
bolt on  any  given  point  of  the  compass.  Germany 
knows  through  past  experience  the  advisability  and 

224 


"THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE" 

necessity  of  conducting  war  in  an  enemy's  country. 
The  German  army  is  built  for  aggression.  There  are 
four  main  groups : 

1.  Organization. 

2.  Transportation. 

3.  Victualization. 

4.  Intelligence. 

Each  of  these  groups  is,  of  course,  subdivided  into 
numerous  branches  which  we  shall  go  into  under  each 
individual  head. 

ORGANIZATION 

First  comes  organization.  The  German  army  is 
composed  of  three  distinct  parts :  the  standing  army, 
the  reserves,  and  Landwehr. 

The  standing  arm  comprises  790,000  officers  and 
men.  This  body  of  men  is  ready  at  an  instant.  It 
is  the  reserves  who  need  an  elaborate  system  of  mo- 
bilization. The  reserves  are  divided  into  two  classes, 
first  and  second  reserves.  So  is  the  Landwehr,  hav- 
ing two  levies  —  the  first  and  second  Aufgebot. 
Every  able-bodied  man  on  reaching  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  can  be  called  upon  to  serve  the  colors.  One  in 
five  only  is  taken,  as  there  is  more  material  than  the 
country  needs  —  the  fifth  being  selected  for  one  of 
five  branches:  infantry,  cavalry,  artillery,  Genie 
corps,  or  the  navy.  The  time  of  service  in  the  in- 
fantry is  two  years;  in  the  cavalry  three,  in  the  ar- 
tilery  three,  in  the  Genie  corps  two,  and  in  the  navy 
three.  Well-conducted  men  get  from  two  to  four 

225 


months  of  their  time.  This  is  by  no  means  a  charity 
on  the  part  of  the  authorities,  but  a  well-thrashed 
and  deep-laid  scheme  to  circumvent  the  Reichstag  as 
it  gives  the  Emperor  another  75,000  men.  A  certain 
class  of  men  passing  an  examination  called  Einjah- 
riges  Zeugniss  or  possessing  a  diploma  called 
Abiturienten  Examen  (the  equivalent  of  a  B.  A.) 
serve  only  one  year  in  each  branch.  This  class  pro- 
vides most  of  the  reserve  officers.  The  active  officers, 
usually  the  scions  of  an  aristocratic  house  or  the  sons 
of  the  old  military  or  feudal  families  in  Germany, 
are  mostly  educated  in  one  of  the  state  Kadetten- 
Anstalten,  military  academies,  of  which  Gross-Lich- 
terfelde  bei  Berlin  is  the  most  famous.  The  real 
backbone  and  stiffening  of  the  German  army  and  navy 
is  the  noncommissioned  officers  recruited  from  the 
rank  and  file.  In  fact,  this  body  of  men  is  the  main- 
stay of  the  thrones  in  the  German  Empire,  especially 
of  Prussia.  These  men,  after  about  twelve  years  of 
service  in  an  army  where  discipline,  obedience,  and 
efficiency  are  the  first  and  last  word,  are  then  drafted 
into  all  the  minor  administrative  officers  of  the  state, 
such  as  minor  railway,  post,  excise,  municipal,  and 
police.  The  reader  will  see  the  significance  of  this 
when  it  is  pointed  out  that  not  only  the  Empire  but 
the  War  Machine  has  these  well-trained  men  at  its 
beck  and  call.  The  same  thing  applies  to  the  draft- 
ing of  officers  to  hold  the  highest  administrative  posi- 
tions in  the  state. 

There  are  twenty-five  army  corps  all  placed  in 

226 


GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE 


strategical  position.  The  strongest  is  in  Alsace-Lor- 
raine and  along  the  Rhine;  the  second  in  importance 
garrisoning  the  Prussian-Russian  border.  The 
whole  country  is  subdivided  into  Bezirks  commandos 
(districts  posts)  whose  business  is  to  have  on  record 
not  only  every  able-bodied  man  —  reservists  —  but  ev- 
ery motor,  horse,  and  vehicle  available ;  also  food  and 
coal  supply  —  in  fact,  everything  likely  to  be  wanted 
or  useful  to  the  army.  Every  German  reservist,  or 
otherwise,  knows  the  reporting  place  of  his  district 
and  has  to  report  there  when  notified  within  twenty- 
four  hours.  The  penalties  for  noncompliance  are  high 
even  in  peace  times.  In  the  event  of  war  or  martial 
law  they  are  absolutely  stringent.  The  commandos 
are  so  placed  that  they  could  forward  their  drafts  of 
men  and  material  to  their  provincial  concentration 
points  at  the  quickest  possible  notice.  These  provin- 
cial concentration  points,  being  railway  centers,  are 
so  located  that  the  masses  of  men  and  materials  pour- 
ing in  from  all  sides  can  be  handled  and  sent  in  the 
wanted  and  needed  direction  without  any  conges- 
tion. How  this  is  done  I  shall  explain  when  I  come 
to  transportation.  In  each  of  those  district  com- 
mandos are  depots,  Montirungs-Kammern  (arsenals), 
where  a  full  equipment  for  each  individual  on  the 
roll  is  kept.  The  marvelous  quickness  with  which 
a  civilian  is  transferred  into  a  fully  equipped  mili- 
tary unit  must  be  seen  to  be  believed,  and  is  only 
made  possible  through  systematic  training  and  con- 
stant maneuvers.  These  maneuvers  are  costly,  but 

227 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

have  long  been  recognized  in  German  military  circles 
as  essential  in  training  the  units  and  familiarizing 
the  commanders  with  the  handling  of  enormous 
masses  of  men.  In  the  last  Kaiser  maneuvers  over 
half  a  million  men  were  concentrated  and  massed; 
in  fact,  shuttlecocked  from  one  end  of  the  Empire  to 
the  other  without  a  hitch. 

The  control  of  the  army  in  peace  or  in  war  lies  with 
the  Emperor.  He  is  the  sole  arbiter  and  head.  No 
political  or  social  body  of  men  has  any  control  in 
army  matters.  No  political  jealousies  would  be  per- 
mitted. Obedience  and  efficiency  are  demanded. 
Mutual  jealousies  and  political  tricks  such  as  we 
have  seen  in  the  Russian  campaign  in  the  East  and 
lately  in  France  are  impossible  in  the  German  sys- 
tem, for  the  Emperor  would  break  instantly,  in  fact 
has  done  so,  any  general  guilty  of  even  the  faintest 
indication  of  such  an  offense.  And  there  is  no  ap- 
peal to  a  Congress,  a  Chamber  of  Deputies,  or  politi- 
cal organ  against  the  Emperor's  decision. 

Last  but  not  least,  under  the  heading  of  the  organ- 
ization comes  the  financial  aspect.  Out  of  the  five 
milliards  of  francs,  the  war  indemnity  paid  by  France 
to  Germany  in  1871,  200,000,000  marks  in  gold  coin, 
mostly  French,  were  put  away  as  the  nucleus  of  a 
ready  war  chest.  In  a  little  medieval-looking  watch 
tower,  the  Julius  Thurm  near  Spandau,  lies  this  ever- 
increasing  driving  force  of  the  mightiest  war  engine 
the  world  has  ever  seen.  Ever  increasing,  for  quietly 
and  unobtrusively  6,000,000  marks  in  newly  minted 

228 


;THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE" 


gold  coins  are  taken  year  by  year  and  added  to  the 
store.  On  the  first  of  October  each  year  since  1871, 
three  ammunition  wagons  full  of  bright  and  glitter- 
ing twenty-mark  pieces  clatter  over  the  drawbridge 
and  these  pieces  are  stored  away  in  the  steel-plate 
subterranean  chambers  of  the  Julius  Thurm,  ready 
at  an  instant's  notice  to  furnish  the  sinews  to  the  man 
wielding  this  force.  This  is  a  tremendous  power  in 
itself,  for  there  are  now  close  to  500,000,000  marks 
($120,000,000)  in  minted  gold  coinage  in  storage 
there.  This  provides  the  necessary  funds  for  the 
German  army  for  ten  calendar  months.  The  au- 
thorities have  no  necessity  to  ask  the  country,  war- 
ring politicians  —  in  this  instance  the  Keichstag  — 
for  money  to  start  a  campaign.  They  have  got  it 
ready  to  hand.  Once  war  is  declared  and  started,  if 
needed  they'll  get  the  rest. 

This  money  is  under  the  sole  control  of  military 
authorities.  It  has  often  been  declared  a  myth.  I 
know  it  to  be  a  fact.  Notwithstanding  the  financial 
straits  Germany  has  gone  through  at  times  or  may 
go  through,  this  money  will  never  be  touched.  It  is 
there  for  one  purpose  only  and  that  purpose  is  war. 
Needless  to  say,  it  is  amply  guarded.  Triple  posts 
in  this  garrison  town,  devices  to  flood  instantly  the 
whole  under  fifteen  feet  of  water  from  the  river 
Havel,  are  but  items  in  the  system  of  protection. 
Twice  a  year  the  Emperor  in  person,  or  his  heir  ap- 
parent, personally  inspects  his  war  chest.  Mechani- 
cal-balanced devices  are  employed  to  check  the  cor- 

229 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

rect  weight.  It  is  a  marvelously  simple  mechanism  by 
means  of  which  in  less  than  two  hours  the  whole 
of  this  vast  hoard  of  gold  can  be  accurately  checked 
and  the  absence  of  a  single  gold  piece  detected. 

TRANSPORTATION 

One  of  the  most  important  parts  of  the  organization 
is  the  question  of  transportation.  Hannibal's  cam- 
paigns against  Caesar  and  Napoleon's  central  Euro- 
pean wars  owed  their  success  in  a  great  measure,  if 
not  wholly,  to  their  quickness  of  motion.  This  ap- 
plies about  tenfold  in  modern  warfare.  In  actual 
armament  the  leading  powers  in  Europe  are  prac- 
tically on  a  par.  The  personnel,  as  regards  personal 
courage,  stamina,  elan,  or  whatever  you  wish  to  call 
it,  is  fairly  equal  also.  There  is  little  difference  in 
the  individual  prowess  of  French,  Russian,  English, 
and  German  soldiers.  This  is  well  known  to  military 
experts.  The  difference  is  mainly  a  question  of  disci- 
pline, technique,  and  preparedness,  the  main  factor 
being,  as  indicated,  the  ability  to  throw  the  greater 
number  of  troops  in  the  shortest  possible  time  against 
the  enemy  at  any  given  point,  without  exhausting  man 
and  beast  unnecessarily  and  enervating  the  country  to 
be  traversed.  It  is  therefore  necessary  to  have  num- 
erous arteries  of  traffic  at  disposal.  This  will  lead  us 
later  to  the  question  of  visualization,  Germany  fol- 
lowing closely  one  of  Moltke's  axioms :  "  March 
separately,  but  fight  conjointly." 

Only  in  a  country  where  all  railroads,  highways, 

230 


and  waterways,  and  where  post  and  telegraph  are 
owned  and  controlled  by  the  state,  is  it  possible  to 
evolve  and  perfect  a  system  of  transportation  such  as 
is  at  the  disposal  of  the  German  General  Staff.  Every 
mile  of  German  railroads,  especially  the  ones  built 
within  the  last  twenty  years,  has  been  constructed 
mainly  for  strategical  reasons.  Taking  Berlin  as  the 
center  you  will  find  on  looking  at  a  German,  more  es- 
pecially a  Prussian,  railroad  map,  close  similarity  to 
a  spider's  web.  From  Berlin  you  will  see  trunk  lines 
extending  in  an  almost  direct  route  to  her  French  and 
Russian  frontiers.  Not  single  or  double,  but  treble 
and  quadruple  lines  of  steel  converging  with  other 
strategic  lines  at  certain  points  such  as  Magdeburg, 
Hanover,  Nordhausen,  Kassel,  Frankfort-on-the- 
Main,  Cologne,  or  Strassburg  —  to  name  but  a  few. 
Places  such  as  enumerated  are  invariably  provincial 
commandos,  having  garrisons,  arsenals,  and  depots 
on  a  large  scale. 

The  capacity  of  the  railroad  yards  for  handling 
large  bodies  of  men  and  vast  amounts  of  goods  swiftly 
is  judiciously  studied.  At  any  given  time,  especially 
at  tense  political  moments,  at  every  large  strategical 
railway  center  in  Germany  there  are  a  certain  num- 
ber of  trucks  and  engines  kept  for  military  purposes 
only  —  sometimes,  as  in  the  Khine  division  during  the 
acute  period  of  the  Morocco  question,  with  steam  up. 

As  previously  related,  90  per  cent,  of  all  the  rail- 
way officials  are  ex-soldiers.  Five  minutes  after  the 
signing  of  the  mobilization  orders  by  the  Emperor, 

231 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

the  whole  of  the  railway  system  would  be  under  di- 
rect military  control.  Specially  trained  transporta- 
tion and  railway  experts  on  the  General  Staff  would 
take  over  the  direction  of  affairs.  Besides  this,  there 
exists  in  the  German  standing  army  a  number  of 
Eisenbahn  Regimen  ter  (railway  corps)  — all  trained 
railroad  builders  and  mechanics.  Elaborate  time- 
tables and  transportation  cards  are  in  readiness  to  be 
put  into  operation  on  the  instant  of  mobilization,  sup- 
erseding the  civil  time-tables  of  peace.  Theoretically 
and  practically  the  schedules  are  tested  twice  a  year 
during  the  big  maneuvers. 

The  same  applies  to  the  waterways  and  highroads 
of  the  Empire.  A  keen  observer  will  often  wonder  at 
the  broadness,  solidness,  and  excellent  state  of  repair 
of  the  chaussees  and  country  roads,  out  of  all  propor- 
tion to  the  little  traffic  passing  along.  They  are 
simply  strategical  arteries  kept  up  by  the  state  for 
military  purposes.  The  heads  of  the  transportation 
and  railway  corps  in  Berlin  sit  before  the  huge  glass- 
covered  tables  where  the  whole  of  the  German  railway 
system  to  its  minutest  detail  is  shown  in  relief,  and 
they  by  pressing  various  single  buttons  can  conduct 
an  endless  chain  of  trains  to  any  given  point  of  the 
Empire. 

To  show  the  accurate  workings  of  this  system  I  shall 
relate  an  incident.  During  the  Kaiser  maneuvers  in 
West  Prussia  a  few  years  ago  I  happened  to  be  at 
headquarters  in  Berlin  delivering  some  plans  and 
records  of  the  English  Midland  Railway  system  when 

232 


"THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE" 

a  General  Staff  Officer  entered  the  signal  hall  and 
made  inquiries  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  a  certain  train 
having  a  regiment  on  board  destined  to  a  certain  part 
of  the  maneuver  field.  One  of  the  operators  through 
the  simple  manipulation  of  some  ivory  keys  in  the 
short  space  of  two  and  a  half  minutes  (as  I  was  keenly 
interested,  I  timed  it)  could  show  the  exact  spot  of 
the  train  between  two  stations,  the  train  being  over 
310  miles  distant  from  Berlin. 

As  every  class  Al  vessel  in  the  merchant  marine  of 
Germany,  especially  the  passenger  boats  of  the  big 
steamship  lines,  can  be  pressed  into  government  serv- 
ice, so  can  all  motor  vehicles,  taxis,  and  trucks  owned 
either  privately  or  by  corporations  be  called  upon  if 
considered  necessary.  Through  this  vast  and  far- 
reaching  system  of  transportation  Germany  is  en- 
abled to  throw  a  million  fully  equipped  men  on  to 
either  of  her  frontiers  within  forty-eight  hours.  She 
can  double  this  host  in  sixty  hours  more. 

VICTUALIZATION 

Napoleon's  dictum  that  an  army  marches  on  its 
stomach  is  as  true  to-day  as  it  was  then,  adequate  pro- 
visions for  man  and  beast  being  the  most  important 
factor  in  military  science.  The  economic  feeding  of 
three-quarters  of  a  million  men  in  peace  time  is  work 
enough.  It  becomes  a  serious  problem  in  the  event 
of  war,  especially  to  a  country  like  Germany  which  is 
somewhat  dependent  on  outside  sources  for  the  feed- 
ing of  her  millions.  The  authorities,  quite  aware  of 

233 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

a  possible  blockading  and  consequent  stoppage  of  im- 
ports, have  made  preparations  with  their  usual  thor- 
ough German  completeness.  At  any  given  time  there 
is  sufficient  foodstuff  for  man  and  beast  stored  in  state 
storehouses  and  the  large  private  concerns  to  feed  the 
entire  German  army  for  twelve  months.  This  might 
seem  inadequate,  but  is  not  so,  the  authorities  being 
well  aware  that  war  in  Europe  at  the  present  time 
could  and  would  not  last  longer  than  such  a  period. 

Once  a  year  these  storehouses  are  overhauled  and 
perishable  or  deteriorating  provisions  replaced.  Tens 
of  thousands  of  tons  of  foodstuffs,  especially  fodder, 
are  sold  far  below  their  usual  market  prices  to  the 
poorer  classes,  notably  farmers.  Likewise  the  ma- 
terial used  by  the  army  is  as  far  as  possible  supplied 
by  the  farmer  direct.  The  total  absence  of  bloated, 
pudgy-fingered  army  contractors  in  Germany  is  pleas- 
ant to  the  eyes  of  those  who  know  the  conditions  in 
some  other  countries  I  could  mention. 

Besides,  the  whole  of  the  German  fighting  machine 
is  so  organized  that  in  all  probability  decisive  battles 
would  be  fought  in  the  enemy's  country,  in  which  case 
the  onus  of  feeding  the  troops  would  fall  on  the 
enemy,  called  in  military  parlance  "  requisitioning 
and  commandeering."  In  this,  German,  and  espe- 
cially Prussian,  quartermasters  are  in  no  way  behind 
their  English  confreres  of  whose  activity  in  the  Boer 
War  I  know  from  personal  experience. 

To  give  but  another  instance  of  the  scientific  thor- 
oughness in  detail,  take  a  single  food  preparation  — 

234 


"THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE 


the  Erbswurst  (pea-meal  sausage),  a  preparation  of 
peas,  meal,  bacon,  salt  and  seasoning,  compressed  in 
a  dry  state  into  air-  and  water-tight  tubes  in  the 
form  of  a  sausage,  each  weighing  a  quarter  of  a 
pound.  Highly  nutritious,  light  in  weight,  practi- 
cally indestructible,  wholesome,  this  is  easily  pre- 
pared into  a  palatable  meal  with  the  simple  addition 
of  hot  water.  Of  this  preparation  huge  quantities 
are  always  kept  in  stock  for  the  army. 

INTELLIGENCE 

Without  doubt  the  most  important  division  of  the 
General  Staff  and  upon  whose  information  and  efforts 
the  whole  machine  hinges  is  the  Intelligence  Depart- 
ment —  really  covering  many  different  fields  —  for  in- 
stance, general  science,  especially  strategy,  topog- 
raphy, ballistics,  but  mainly  the  procuring  of  informa- 
tion data,  plans,  maps,  etc.,  kept  more  or  less  secret 
by  other  powers.  In  this  division  the  brightest  young 
officers  and  general  officials  are  found.  The  training 
and  knowledge  required  of  the  men  in  this  service  are 
exacting  to  a  degree.  It  requires  in  most  cases  the 
undivided  attention  —  often  a  life  study  —  to  a  single 
subject. 

It  has  been  the  unswerving  policy  of  the  Prussian 
military  authorities  to  know  as  much  of  the  rest  of  the 
European  countries  as  they  know  of  their  own.  In 
the  war  of  1870-71,  German  commanders  down  to  a 
lieutenant  leading  a  small  detachment  had  accurate 
information,  charts  and  data  of  every  province  in 

235 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

France,  giving  them  more  accurate  knowledge  of  a 
foreign  country  than  that  country  had  of  itself.  It  is 
a  notorious  fact  that,  after  the  defeat  of  the  French 
armies  at  Weissenburg  and  Worth  and  later  at  Metz, 
the  French  commanders  and  officers  lost  valuable  time 
and  strategical  positions  through  sheer  ignorance  of 
their  own  country.  This  is  impossible  under  the 
Prussian  system.  To-day  there  is  not  a  country  in 
Europe  but  of  which  there  are  the  most  elaborate 
charts  and  maps,  topographically  exact  to  the  minu- 
test detail  docketed  in  the  archives  of  the  General 
Staff.  This  applies  as  a  rule  to  the  General  Staff  of 
most  nations,  but  not  to  such  painstaking  details. 

While  undergoing  instructions  in  the  Admiral  Stab 
in  the  Koenigergratzerstrasse  70,  previous  to  my  being 
sent  on  an  English  mission,  a  controversy  arose  be- 
tween my  instructor  and  myself  as  to  the  distance  be- 
tween two  towns  on  the  Lincolnshire  coast.  He 
pushed  a  button  and  requested  the  answering  orderly 
to  bring  map  64  and  the  officer  in  charge.  With  the 
usual  promptness  both  map  and  officer  appeared. 
The  officer,  who  could  not  have  been  more  than  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  discussed  with  me  in  fluent  colloquial 
English  the  whole  of  this  section  of  Lincolnshire. 
Not  a  hummock,  road,  road-house,  even  to  farmers' 
residences  and  blacksmith's  shop  of  which  he  did  not 
have  exact  knowledge.  I  expressed  astonishment  at 
this  most  unusual  acquaintance  with  the  locality,  and 
suggested  that  he  must  have  spent  considerable  time 
in  residence  there.  Conceive  my  astonishment  when 

236 


'THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE" 


informed  that  he  had  never  been  out  of  Germany  and 
the  only  voyage  ever  taken  by  him  led  him  as  far  as 
Helgoland.  Subsequently  through  careful  inquiries 
and  research  —  my  work  bringing  me  into  constant 
contact  with  the  various  divisions  —  I  found  that  the 
whole  of  England,  France  and  Kussia  was  carefully 
cut  into  sections,  each  of  those  sections  being  in  charge 
of  two  officers  and  a  secretary  whose  duty  it  was  to  ac- 
quaint and  make  themselves  perfectly  familiar  with 
everything  in  that  particular  locality.  Through  the 
far-reaching  system  of  espionage,  the  latest  and  most 
up-to-date  information  is  always  forthcoming,  and 
time  and  again  I  myself,  often  returning  from  a  mis- 
sion like  one  of  those  to  the  naval  base  in  Scotland, 
have  sat  by  the  hour  verbally  amplifying  my  previous 
reports. 

A  part  of  the  intelligence  system  is  the  personality 
squad,  whose  duty  it  is  to  acquaint  themselves  with 
the  personality  of  every  army  and  navy  officer  of  the 
leading  powers.  I  have  seen  reports  as  to  the  en- 
vironments, habits,  hobbies,  and  general  proclivities 
of  men  such  as  Admiral  Fisher,  commanding  the 
Channel  Squadron  of  the  British  Navy,  down  to  Col- 
onel Ribault,  in  charge  of  a  battery  in  Toulouse.  To 
military  or  naval  officers  and  men  of  affairs,  the 
reason  and  benefit  of  such  a  system  are  obvious.  The 
general  reader,  however,  may  not  quite  see  the  point. 
The  position  of  a  commander  in  the  field  is  analogous 
to  the  executive  head  of  a  big  selling  concern.  A  semi- 
personal  knowledge  of  the  foibles  and  characteristics 

237 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

of  his  customers  without  doubt  gives  him  an  advan- 
tage over  a  rival  concern,  neglecting  the  personal 
equation  being  really  more  important  than  is  gener- 
ally understood.  This  has  long  been  recognized  and 
fully  taken  advantage  of  by  the  German  Army  author- 
ities. 

AERIAL 

Within  the  last  few  years  an  entirely  new  and  ac- 
cording to  German  ideas  most  important  factor  has 
entered  and  disturbed  the  relative  military  power  of 
European  nations.  This  is  the  aerial  weapon. 

Since  the  days  of  Otto  Lilienthal  and  his  glider 
it  has  been  the  policy  of  Germany  to  keep  track  of  all 
inventions  likely  to  be  embodied  and  made  use  of  in 
the  War  Machine.  It  is  a  far  cry  from  Lilienthal's 
glider  to  the  last  word  in  aerial  construction  such  as 
the  mysterious  Zeppelin-Parseval  sky  monster  that, 
carrying  a  complement  of  twenty-five  men  and  twelve 
tons  of  explosives,  sailed  across  the  North  Sea,  circled 
over  London,  and  returned  to  Germany.  Lilienthal's 
glider  kept  aloft  four  minutes,  but  this  new  dread- 
naught  of  Germany's  flying  navy  was  aloft  ninety-six 
hours,  maintaining  a  speed  of  thirty-eight  miles  an 
hour,  this  even  in  the  face  of  a  storm  pressure  of  al- 
most eighty  meters.  Such  feats  as  these  are  signifi- 
cant. They  are  at  the  same  time  the  outcome  and  the 
cause  for  the  development  of  this  part  of  the  War  Ma- 
chine. 

It  is  my  purpose  here  to  tell  you  how  far  Ger- 
many has  advanced  and  progressed  in  this  struggle  for 

238 


"THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE" 

mastery  of  the  sky.  I  shall  disclose  facts  about  her 
system  that  have  never  appeared  in  print  —  that  have 
never  been  heard  in  conversation.  They  are  known 
only  to  the  General  Staff  at  Berlin,  not  even  in  the 
cabinets  of  Europe. 

Germany  without  doubt  has  the  most  up-to-date 
aerial  fleet  in  the  world.  The  Budget  of  the  Keich- 
stag  of  1908-1909  allows  and  provides  for  the  build- 
ing and  maintenance  of  twelve  dirigibles  of  Zeppelin 
type.  As  far  as  the  knowledge  of  the  rest  of  the  world 
is  concerned  this  is  all  the  sky  navy  that  Germany  pos- 
sesses. It  is  a  fact,  though,  that  she  has  three  times 
the  number  which  she  officially  acknowledges. 

The  dirigible  balloon  centers  in  Germany  are  five 
and  they  are  situated  at  vitally  strategic  points. 
There  are  two  on  the  French  border,  one  on  the  Rus- 
sian border,  one  on  the  Atlantic  Coast,  and  a  central 
station  near  Berlin.  The  exact  places  are  Strassburg, 
Frankfort-on-the-Main,  Posen,  Wilhelmshafen,  and 
Berlin.  This  does  not  include  the  marvelous  station 
at  Helgoland  in  the  North  Sea,  this  being  a  strategic 
point  in  relation  to  Great  Britain.  Nothing  is  known 
about  this  Helgoland  station.  No  one  but  those  on 
official  business  are  permitted  within  a  thousand  yards 
of  it.  I  shall  tell  things  concerning  it. 

Besides  these  purely  military  posts,  there  are  a 
number  of  commercial  stations  necessary  as  depots 
of  the  regular  transportation  aerial  lines  that  operate 
for  the  convenience  of  the  public.  Like  Germany's 
commercial  steamers,  however,  they  are  controlled 

239 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

and  subsidized  by  the  Government.  At  a  few  hours' 
notice  they  can  be  converted  and  made  use  of  for  Gov- 
ernment purposes.  Taking  these  transportation  lines 
into  consideration,  it  is  safe  to  state  that  by  summer 
of  the  present  year  Germany  could  send  fifty  huge  air- 
ships to  war. 

It  may  be  a  puzzle  to  Americans  why,  in  the  face  of 
disasters  and  accidents  to  these  Zeppelins,  Germany 
is  spending  about  $4,000,000  on  her  aerial  fleet.  Now 
we  come  to  a  very  significant  point.  I  know  and  cer- 
tain members  of  the  German  General  Staff  know,  as 
well  as  trusted  men  in  the  aerial  corps,  that  there  are 
two  conditions  under  which  airships  are  operated  in 
Germany.  One  is  the  ordinary  more  or  less  well- 
known  system  which  characterizes  the  operation  of 
all  the  passenger  lines  now  in  service  in  the  Empire. 
It  is  the  system  under  which  all  the  disasters  that 
appear  in  the  newspapers  occur.  Airships  that  are 
used  in  the  general  army  flights  and  maneuvers  are 
also  run  under  the  same  system  as  the  passenger 
dirigibles  —  for  a  reason. 

The  other  system  is  an  absolute  secret  of  the  Ger- 
man General  Staff.  It  is  not  used  in  the  general 
maneuvers,  only  in  specific  cases,  and  these  always 
secretly.  It  has  been  proved  to  be  effective  in  elimi- 
nating 75  per  cent,  of  the  accidents  which  have  char- 
acterized all  of  Germany's  adventures  in  dirigibles 
and  heavier-than-air  machines.  These  statistics  are 
known  only  by  the  German  General  Staff  office. 

Let  us  go  into  this  further.  Critics  of  the  German 

240 


"THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE" 

dirigible  who  foolishly  rate  the  French  aeroplane  su 
perior  point  out  that  the  Zeppelins  have  three  serious 
defects  —  bulk  and  heaviness  of  structure,  inflamma- 
bility of  the  gas  that  floats  them,  and  inability  to  store 
enough  gas  to  stay  in  the  air  the  desirable  length  of 
time  without  coming  down.  The  secret  devices  of  the 
German  War  Office  have  eliminated  all  these  objec- 
tionable features.  They  have  overcome  the  condition 
of  bulk  and  heaviness  of  structure  by  their  govern- 
ment chemists  devising  the  formula  of  a  material  that 
is  lighter  than  aluminum,  yet  which  possesses  all  of 
that  metal's  density  and  which  has  also  the  flexibility 
of  steel.  Airships  not  among  the  twelve  that  Ger- 
many admits  officially  are  made  of  this  material. 
Its  formula  is  a  government  secret  and  England  or 
France  would  give  thousands  of  dollars  to  possess  it. 
The  objection  of  inflammability  of  the  lifting  power 
has  also  been  overcome.  The  power  of  the  ordinary 
hydrogen  gas  in  all  its  various  forms  has  been  multi- 
plied threefold  by  a  new  dioxygen  gas  discovered  at  the 
Spandau  government  chemical  laboratory.  This  gas 
has  also  the  enormous  advantages  of  being  absolutely 
noninflammable.  I  have  seen  experiments  made 
with  it.  It  cannot  be  used  for  illuminating  purposes. 
Dirigibles  that  are  equipped  with  it  are  not  liable  to 
the  awful  explosions  that  have  characterized  flights 
under  the  ordinary  system.  The  new  gas  has  also  the 
enormous  advantage  of  having  a  liquid  form.  To 
produce  the  gas  it  is  only  necessary  to  let  the  ordinary 
atmosphere  come  in  contact  with  the  liquid.  Carried 

241 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

in  cylinders  two  feet  long  and  with  a  diameter  of  six 
inches  it  is  obvious  that  enough  of  this  liquid  can  be 
carried  aboard  the  big  war  dirigibles  to  permit  their 
refilling  in  midair.  So,  you  see,  all  the  objections  to 
the  commonly  known  system  of  operation  have  been 
overcome  by  the  War  Office. 

The  last  dirigible  tried  by  the  War  Office  in  1912, 
the  mysterious  Zeppelin  X,  made  a  continuous  trip 
from  Stettin  over  the  Baltic  to  Upsala  in  Sweden, 
thence  across  the  Baltic  again  to  Eiga  in  the  Gulf  of 
Finland,  where  it  doubled  and  sailed  back  to  Stettin. 
This  was  a  journey  of  976  miles.  The  airship  had  a 
complement  of  twenty-five  men  and  five  tons  of  dead 
weight.  It  traveled  under  severe  weather  conditions, 
the  month  being  March,  and  snow-storms,  hail  and 
rain  occurring  throughout  the  voyage.  The  signifi- 
cance of  this  flight  can  be  easily  understood  if  you 
consider  the  distance  from  Strassburg  or  Diisseldorf 
to  Paris  or  other  strategical  points  to  France  is  ap- 
proximately 298  miles.  A  ship  like  the  Zeppelin  X 
could  sail  over  the  French  border,  dynamite  the  forti- 
fications around  Paris  and  return,  the  journey  being 
roughly  900  miles  —  76  miles  less  than  the  actual  trip 
made  by  the  Zeppelin  X.  Moreover,  the  German  mili- 
tary trials  have  shown  the  possibility  of  an  aerial 
fleet  leaving  their  home  ports  and  cruising  to  foreign 
lands  and  returning  without  the  necessity  of  landing 
to  replenish  their  gas  tanks  or  fuel. 

Let  me  show  you  how  the  German  aerial  corps  is 
made  up.  It  is  called  the  Luftschiffer  Abteilung  and 

242 


"THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE1 


is  composed  of  ten  battalions,  each  consisting  of  350 
men.  They  are  all  trained  absolutely  for  this  branch 
of  the  service.  Only  the  smartest  mechanics  and  arti- 
ficers are  selected.  In  the  higher  branches  the  most 
intelligent  and  bravest  officers  hold  command.  Con- 
sidering the  usual  pay  in  continental  armies,  the 
wages  of  the  men  in  the  General  aerial  corps  are  ex- 
ceptionally high.  In  fact  they  are  the  highest  paid  in 
the  German  army.  They  are  not  ordinary  enlisted 
men,  meaning  that  they  serve  only  their  two  years' 
time.  Most  of  them  have  agreed  to  serve  a  lengthy 
term.  Married  men  are  not  encouraged  to  enroll  in 
this  branch  of  the  service.  It  is  obvious  from  the  na- 
ture of  the  work  that  the  hazards  are  often  great. 
The  wonderful  system  of  the  German  War  Machine 
has  been  installed  with  rare  detail  in  the  aerial  corps. 
The  equipment  of  the  different  stations  is  really  mar- 
velous. For  everything  human  ingenuity  has  been 
able  to  devise  concerning  the  dirigible  you  will  find  in 
application.  Each  station  is  fully  equipped  and  is 
an  absolutely  independent  center  in  itself.  Take  the 
base  at  Helgoland.  It  is  the  newest  and  the  one  that 
is  always  cloaked  with  secrecy. 

At  the  extreme  eastern  corner  of  the  island  of  Helgo- 
land one  sees,  amid  the  sandy  dunes,  three  vast  ob- 
long, iron-gray  structures.  At  a  distance  they  are 
not  unlike  overgrown  gasometers.  I  say  at  a  dis- 
tance, for  it  is  impossible  for  any  visitor  to  get  within 
a  thousand  yards  of  the  station.  The  solitary  ap- 
proach is  guarded  by  a  triple  post  of  the  marine  guard. 

243 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

If  you  walk  toward  the  station,  before  you  come  within 
a  hundred  yards  of  the  guard,  you  will  find  large 
signs  setting  forth  in  unmistakable  and  terse  lan- 
guage that  dire  and  swift  penalties  follow  any  fur- 
ther exploration  in  that  direction.  Not  only  English 
but  German  visitors  to  Helgoland  have  found  out 
through  their  course  that  even  the  slightest  infringe- 
ment of  the  rules  of  these  signs  is  dangerous.  I  shall 
however,  take  you  a  little  closer. 

Walking  on  until  you  are  within  fifty  yards  of  the 
great  balloon  sheds,  you  pause  before  a  tall  fence  of 
barbed  wire,  this  connected  with  an  elaborate  alarm- 
bell  system  that  sounds  in  the  two  guard  houses.  For 
instance,  if  an  enterprising  secret  agent  of  France 
were  to  try  to  steal  up  on  the  station,  if  he  came  by 
night  and  cut  through  the  barbed  wire,  a  series  of 
bells  would  immediately  sound  the  general  alarm. 
Having  passed  through  the  six  strands  of  barbed  wire 
a  tall  octagonal  tower  meets  the  eye.  In  this  tower 
are  installed  two  powerful  searchlights  as  well  as  a 
complete  wireless  outfit.  All  the  Zeppelins  carry 
wireless.  By  means  of  elaborate  reflectors,  it  is  pos- 
sible with  the  searchlights  to  flood  the  whole  place 
with  daylight  in  the  middle  of  the  night.  Thus  ascen- 
sions can  be  made  safely  at  any  hour  of  the  twenty- 
four.  The  three  oblong  sheds  stand  in  a  row,  the 
middle  being  the  largest,  having  spaces  for  two  com- 
plete dirigibles,  while  the  other  sheds  house  but  one 
each.  They  are  about  800  feet  long,  200  feet  broad 

244 


"THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE" 

and  120  feet  high.  The  whole  structure  itself  can  be 
shifted  to  about  an  angle  of  forty  degrees,  this  being 
worked  on  a  plan  similar  to  the  railroad  engine  turn- 
table. The  reason  for  it  is  that  with  the  veering  of 
the  wind  the  sheds  are  turned  so  that  the  doors  will  be 
placed  advantageously  for  the  removal  of  the  airship 
from  its  place  of  shelter. 

The  whole  layout  and  the  vast  area  of  space  show 
that  it  is  the  Government's  intention  to  still  further 
increase  the  plant.  In  fact,  on  my  last  visit  to  Helgo- 
land —  and  it  was  more  than  two  years  ago  —  I  saw 
the  evidence  of  another  shed  about  to  be  built.  At  the 
station  is  the  most  efficient  meteorological  department 
of  all  the  stations.  The  most  up-to-date  and  sensitive 
instruments  connected  with  this  science  are  there  in 
duplicates  and  the  highest  experts  such  as  only  Ger- 
many can  produce  are  in  charge  of  the  department. 

When  I  was  at  Helgoland  I  noticed  a  vast  difference 
in  the  strength  of  the  fortifications  compared  to  what 
they  had  been.  They  used  to  be  tremendous,  but  since 
the  addition  of  the  naval  base  they  have  become  sec- 
ondary. Half  the  soldiers  on  duty  there  have  been 
transferred  elsewhere;  so  with  the  big  guns.  There 
is  no  longer  any  need  for  them.  As  I  stated,  I  saw  a 
fourth  big  balloon  shed  in  the  course  of  construction. 
I  have  not  been  on  the  island  for  two  years.  Nobody 
has  been  near  the  extreme  eastern  end  except  those 
closely  identified  with  the  service.  Considering  that 
Germany  has  not  built  more  than  one  extra  shed,  that 

245 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

means  five  dirigibles,  and  there  is  nothing  on  earth 
that  could  stand  up  against  them.  Helgoland  does 
not  need  forts  any  more.  The  new  forts  float  in  the 
sky  and  can  rain  death. 

Helgoland  has  always  been  a  sore  spot  of  British 
diplomacy.  Originally  England  owned  the  island; 
now  it  is  a  menace  to  England.  When  Lord  Salis- 
bury was  Prime  Minister  of  England,  he  conceived 
what  he  believed  to  be  a  shrewd  diplomatic  move. 
He  offered  Bismarck  the  island  of  Helgoland  in  ex- 
change for  some  East  African  concessions.  Helgo- 
land is  now  the  key  and  guard  of  Germany's  main 
artery  of  commerce,  being  the  key  to  Hamburg. 
With  the  dirigible  station  of  Helgoland  to  guard  her, 
Hamburg  is  impregnable  and  on  England's  northern 
coast  they  have  a  way  of  looking  out  across  the  North 
Sea  with  troubled  eyes,  for  who  knows  when  those 
terrible  cartridge-shaped  monsters  will  rise  into 
the  air  and  sweep  over  the  sea?  Stranger  things  have 
happened,  even  though  the  countries  have  their  secret 
diplomatic  understandings. 

Let  us  consider  one  of  these  new  war  monsters,  the 
latest  and  most  powerful,  the  X  15.  The  latest  Zep- 
pelins, charged  with  the  newly  discovered  dioxy- 
genous  gas,  giving  these  sky  battleships  triple  lifting 
capacity;  the  perfecting  of  the  Diesel  motor,  giving 
enormous  consumption  (fifty  of  these  Diesel  engines, 
their  workings  secret  to  the  German  Government,  are 
stored  under  guard  at  the  big  navy  yards  at  Wilhelm- 

246 


"THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE" 

shafen  and  Kiel,  ready  to  be  installed  at  the  break  of 
war  into  submarines  and  dirigibles),  have  given  the 
German  type  of  aircraft  an  importance  undreamed  of 
and  unsuspected  by  the  rest  of  the  world. 

The  operating  sphere  of  the  new  balloons  has  ex- 
tended from  100  to  1,200-1,400  kilometers.  Secret 
trial  trips  of  a  fully  equipped  Zeppelin  like  X  15, 
carrying  a  crew  of  twenty-four  men,  six  quick-firing 
guns,  seven  tons  of  explosive,  have  extended  from 
Stettin,  over  the  Baltic,  over  Swedenburg  in  Sweden, 
recrossing  the  Baltic  and  landing  at  Swinemunde, 
with  enough  gas,  fuel,  and  provisions  left  to  keep  aloft 
another  thirty-six  hours.  The  distance  all  told  cov- 
ered on  one  of  these  trips  was  1,180  kilometers.  This 
fact  speaks  for  itself.  The  return  distance  from  Hel- 
goland to  London,  or  any  midland  towns  in  England, 
corresponds  with  the  mileage  covered  on  recent  trips. 
In  the  event  of  hostilities  between  England  and  Ger- 
many, this  statement  needs  no  explanation.  That  is 
why  I  mentioned  that  the  latter-day  Zeppelins  were  a 
powerful  factor  in  bringing  about  an  amiable  under- 
standing between  those  two  powerful  countries.  For 
neither  the  historic  wooden  walls  of  Nelson's  day  nor 
the  steel  plates  of  her  modern  navy  could  help  Eng- 
land or  any  other  nation  against  the  inroads  of  the 
monsters  of  the  air. 

The  capacity  of  seven  tons  of  explosive  does  not  ex- 
haust the  resources  of  this  type  of  weapon.  I  have  it 
on  good  authority  that  the  new  Zeppelins  can  carry 

247 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

double  that  quantity  of  explosive  if  necessary.  As 
the  size  of  these  vessels  increases,  so  does  the  ratio  of 
their  carrying  capacity. 

Picture  the  havoc  a  dozen  such  vultures  could 
create  attacking  a  city  like  London  or  Paris.  Pres- 
ent-day defense  against  these  ships  is  totally  inade- 
quate. In  attacking  large  places,  the  Zeppelins  would 
rise  to  a  height  of  from  6,000  to  8,000  feet,  at  which 
distance  these  huge  cigar-shaped  engines  of  death, 
700  feet  long,  would  appear  the  size  of  a  football,  and 
no  bigger.  I  know  that  Zeppelins  have  successfully 
sailed  aloft  at  an  altitude  of  10,000  feet.  Picture 
them  at  that  elevation,  everybody  aboard  in  warm, 
comfortable  quarters,  ready  to  drop  explosives  to  the 
ground.  The  half  informed  man  —  and  there  appear 
to  be  many  such  in  European  cabinets,  which  recalls 
the  proverb  about  a  little  knowledge  being  a  danger- 
ous thing  —  likes  to  say  that  a  flock  of  aeroplanes  can 
put  a  dirigible  out  of  business.  Consider  now  an 
aeroplane  at  an  elevation  of  6,000  feet  and  remember 
that  the  new  Zeppelins  have  gone  thousands  of  feet 
higher.  An  aviator  at  6,000  feet  is  so  cold  that  he  is 
practically  useless  for  anything  but  guiding  his  ma- 
chine. How  in  the  world  is  he  or  his  seat-mate  going 
to  do  harm  to  a  big  craft  the  size  of  the  Zeppelin  that 
is  far  above  him?  An  aviator  who  has  ever  gone  up, 
say  8,000  feet,  will  tell  you  when  he  comes  down  what 
a  harrowing  experience  he  has  had.  What  good  can 
an  individual  be,  exposed  to  the  temperature  and  the 
elements  at  such  an  altitude,  in  doing  harm  to  the 

248 


"THE  GERMAN  WAR  MACHINE" 

calm,  comfortable  gentlemen  in  the  heated  compart- 
ments of  the  Zeppelin?  —  Quatsch!  which  is  a  Ger- 
man army  term  for  piffle ! 

At  8,000  feet  the  small  target  a  Zeppelin  affords 
would  move  at  a  rate  of  speed  of  from  thirty-five  to 
sixty  miles  an  hour.  The  possible  chances  of  being 
hit  by  terrestrial  gunfire  are  infinitesimally  small. 
This  does  not  take  into  account  the  vast  opportunities 
that  a  dirigible  has  for  night  attacks  or  the  possibility 
of  hiding  among  the  clouds.  The  X  15,  sailing  over 
London,  could  drop  explosives  down  and  create  ter- 
rible havoc.  They  don't  have  to  aim.  They  are  not 
like  aviators  trying  to  drop  a  bomb  on  the  deck  of  a 
warship.  They  simply  dump  overboard  some  of  the 
new  explosive  of  the  German  Government,  these  new 
chemicals  having  the  property  of  setting  on  fire  any- 
thing that  they  hit,  and  they  sail  on.  They  do  not  have 
to  worry  about  hitting  the  mark.  Consider  the  size 
of  their  target.  They  are  simply  throwing  something 
at  the  City  of  London.  If  they  do  not  hit  Bucking- 
ham Palace  they  are  apt  to  hit  Knightsbridge.  And 
remember  that  whatever  one  of  the  new  German  ex- 
plosives strikes,  conflagration  begins. 

Aeroplanes,  biplanes,  monoplanes,  and  the  other  in- 
numerable host  of  small  craft  so  often  quoted  as  a 
possible  counterdefense  against  the  Zeppelin,  are 
overrated,  and  are  in  any  case  theoretical.  The  Ger- 
man authorities  have  made  vast  and  exhaustive  trials 
in  these  matters.  The  strenuous  efforts  on  the  part 
of  this  Empire  to  increase  its  dirigible  fleet  is  to  my 

249 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

way  of  thinking  answer  enough.  The  German  Gen- 
eral Staff  at  Berlin  tries  out  more  thoroughly  than 
any  nation  in  the  world  every  new  device  of  warfare. 
They  have  tried  the  aeroplane  and  the  dirigible.  I 
have  heard  the  leading  experts  and  aviators  who  have 
been  assigned  to  both  types  agreeing  that  the  Zeppe- 
lins of  the  X  15  type  have  nothing  to  fear  from  any 
present-day  flying  machine  —  and  that  is  good  enough 
for  me. 


250 


XIII 
ARMING  FOR  PEACE  OE  WAR 

THE  map  of  Europe  is  certain  to  undergo  some 
very  decided  changes  within  the  next  decade, 
very  possibly  in  less  time.  Social  and  economic  con- 
ditions, let  alone  the  paramount  political  ambitions 
of  the  individual  rulers,  must  bring  about  a  decided 
alteration  in  state  boundaries  in  Central  Europe. 
This  will  be  accomplished  either  with  or  without  war 
—  with  bloodshed  most  likely.  History  and  human 
propensities  have  shown  the  inability  to  settle  any 
vital  points  by  peaceful  arbitration  and  the  more  one 
comes  in  contact  with  the  forces,  obvious  and  other- 
wise, directing  human  affairs,  the  more  one  learns  the 
rather  disheartening  fact  that  the  millennium  is  as 
far  off  as  ever.  The  prophecies  of  the  old  Biblical 
prophets  about  wars  and  rumors  of  wars  are  as  per- 
tinent to-day  as  before  the  advent  of  Christ.  The 
methods  may  have  changed  since  the  conception  of  the 
Christian  religion  but  the  results  will  be  attained  now 
as  ever  by  the  right  of  a  mighty  sword  arm. 

The  most  virile  and  aggressive  power  in  the  center 
of  Europe  is  Germany  proper  —  this  term  of  Ger- 
many, including  the  whole  of  the  Teutonic  races,  such 
as  the  German-speaking  portion  of  Austria,  Hungary 

251 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 

(for  your  true  Hungarian  is  a  keen  admirer  of 
strength  and  force),  Holland,  Switzerland  and  in  all 
probability  the  Norsemen  and  Viking  branches  of  the 
Teutonic  clan,  meaning  Sweden,  Norway  and  Den- 
mark. Social  and  commercial  aims  and  aspirations 
in  Sweden,  Norway  and  Denmark,  independent  as 
they  are  and  probably  always  will  be,  still  show  a  de- 
cided trend  to  Central  Germanic  cohesion.  The  whole 
of  Europe  is  roughly  divided  into  three  dominant 
races  —  the  Teutonic,  the  Latin  and  the  Slavish.  The 
Teutonic  has  Anglo-Saxon,  Germanic  and  Norse  sub- 
divisions. The  Latin,  Gallic,  has  the  French,  Italian 
and  Spanish  nations ;  and  the  Slavonic  comprises  the 
Slavs  and  Eomanic  races  with  their  innumerable  sub- 
divisions such  as  Moscovite,  Chech,  Pole,  Croat,  Serb, 
Bulgar,  Bojar,  etc.  These  three  groups  are  distinctly 
different  in  habits,  thoughts,  manners  and  ambitions. 
Through  race  and  religion  they  are  also  deeply  antag- 
onistic by  reason  of  its  higher  commercial  develop- 
ment ( I  do  not  say  education,  and  art,  music  or  litera- 
ture, for  there  your  Latin  or  Slav  excels),  the  Teu- 
tonic races  have  outstripped  the  other  two.  Com- 
mercialism means  consolidation  and  concentration 
and  since  the  Napoleonic  wars  the  Germanic  races  — 
at  the  beginning  slowly  but  within  the  last  twenty- 
five  years  rapidly  —  have  drawn  together  at  an  aston- 
ishing pace.  In  countries  such  as  Belgium,  Hol- 
land, Denmark  and  Switzerland,  each  possessing  their 
own  petty  machinery  of  expensive  government;  exist- 
ent only  through  the  mutual  jealousies  of  their  bigger 

252 


neighbors,  there  has  grown  up  a  decidedly  incorpor- 
ating spirit.  Notwithstanding  the  natural  disin- 
clination of  the  ruling  factions  of  that  country,  the 
general  mass  of  the  people  are  by  no  means  averse  to 
become  members  of  a  vast  central  European  empire, 
the  unswerving  ambition  of  the  house  of  the  Hohen- 
zollerns. 

Since  the  days  when  the  Counts  of  Nuremburg  be- 
came electors  of  Brandenburg,  from  the  grosse  Kur- 
furst,  Frederick  the  Great,  to  the  present  Emperor, 
the  house  of  Hohenzollern  has  shown  itself  to  be  the 
most  virile  dynasty  in  modern  history.  Not  always 
clever,  they  possessed  the  rare  faculty  of  finding,  de- 
veloping and  using  men  having  the  necessary  ability  to 
execute  their  current  policies. 

In  thoroughly  feudal  and  aristocratic  countries 
such  as  comprise  Central  Europe,  especially  Ger- 
many, decided,  unswerving  aims  are  necessary.  If 
these  policies  are  conducted  in  a  clear,  level-headed 
manner,  judiciously  developing  the  wealth  and  cult- 
ure of  the  general  masses,  the  stability  of  such  a  gov- 
ernment or  throne  is  well-nigh  unshakable. 

It  has  often  been  spoken  and  written  that  in  coun- 
tries such  as  Germany  and  Austria,  Socialism,  to 
quote  but  one  of  the  numerous  "isms,"  has  under- 
mined existing  governmental  powers.  To  a  close  stu- 
dent, these  assertions  are  absolutely  wrong.  Teu- 
tonic Germanic  races  have  ever  been  given  to  deeply 
analytical,  philosophical  studies,  criticising  and  dis- 
secting, the  policies  of  their  rulers.  But  underlying, 

253 


you  will  find  a  deeply  practical  sense  and  apprecia- 
tion of  material  benefits.  The  German  Socialist  is  in 
fact  a  practical  dreamer,  quite  in  contrast  to  his  mer- 
curial, effervescent  Latin  prototype.  The  rulers  of 
Germany  have  learned  the  lesson  that  the  stability  of 
a  throne  rests  in  the  welfare  of  her  people  and  every- 
one must  admit  that  they  have  succeeded  in  this  re- 
spect better  than  any  other  dynasty  known  to  his- 
tory. Germany  without  doubt  is  the  most  uniformly 
prosperous  and  civilized  country  in  the  world.  And 
therein  lies  the  danger,  as  no  sane  and  prosperous 
business  can  afford  to  stand  still.  Neither  can  a  solv- 
ent virile  nation  such  as  Germany,  mark  time.  For 
this  reason :  Two  things  must  happen  in  the  near  fu- 
ture. Germany  must  expand  peacefully  in  Europe, 
to  the  northeast  and  west ;  or  there  will  be  war.  The 
reasons  for  this  I  gave  in  the  chapter  on  "  The  Isola- 
tion of  France." 

And  that  the  chances  of  peaceful  and  really  sensible 
adjustment  are  thoroughly  discounted  among  German 
men  of  affairs,  must  be  pretty  obvious  to  the  careful 
reader.  An  intensely  practical  and  saving  people 
such  as  the  Germans  would  not  spend  billions  in 
money,  a  vast  amount  of  time  and  labor,  in  perfecting 
and  keeping  up  a  fighting  machine  without  being  thor- 
oughly convinced  of  the  necessity  of  this  investment. 
Strong,  wealthy  and  powerful  as  Germany  is  to-day, 
the  strain  is  tremendous  and  for  this  reason  alone  ex- 
isting political  and  geographical  conditions  in  Europe 
must  undergo  a  decided  change. 

254 


These  changes  are  bound  to  occur  but  it  is  hard  to 
set  a  correct  time.  It  may  be  to-morrow ;  it  certainly 
will  not  be  more  than  a  decade  hence.  The  death  of 
the  Emperor  Francis  Joseph  will  precipitate  it  at 
once  —  and  he  is  old  and  feeble. 

Secondly,  the  Church.  The  mainstay  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church  rests  with  the  Austrian  monarchy  and 
with  the  death  of  the  old  Emperor,  it  would — -in 
fact  have  to  —  look  to  some  other  country  and  ruler 
for  protection.  There  is  no  Catholic  ruler  in  a  Cath- 
olic country  to-day  able  to  support  and  protect  the  dig- 
nity of  the  Church.  The  German  Emperor  is  a 
Protestant  monarch,  but  he  is  first  and  last  a  Chris- 
tian, and  thanks  to  his  usual  keen  and  far-sighted 
policy,  backed  up  by  strong  spiritual  convictions,  re- 
ligious dissensions  are  almost  unknown  in  his  em- 
pire. The  Catholic  religion  enjoys  in  no  country, 
save  the  United  States,  more  real  freedom  from  perse- 
cution than  it  does  in  Germany.  And  the  Emperor's 
personal  standing  with  the  Vatican  is  excellent.  I 
need  only  remind  the  reader  of  his  perennial  visits  to 
the  King  of  Italy  when  he  never  fails  to  visit  the 
Vatican,  paying  his  respects  as  the  ruler  of  twenty- 
seven  millions  of  Catholics,  if  you  please,  to  the  keeper 
of  Peter's  keys. 

In  my  work,  I  have  met  eminent  dignitaries  and 
princes  of  the  Catholic  Church  who  voiced  pretty 
freely  —  that  is  for  churchmen  —  their  confidences, 
willingness  of  their  support  to  the  Emperor's  general 
policies. 

255 


THE  SECRETS  OF  THE  GERMAN  WAR  OFFICE 


THE  BUFFER  STATE  OF  THE  NORTH 

As  Germany  has  provided  herself  with  a  buffer 
state  and  ally  in  Southern  Europe,  meaning  Turkey, 
so  she  has  cleverly  succeeded  in  creating  a  similar 
condition  in  the  extreme  north  of  Europe.  Sweden 
and  Norway,  at  no  time  friendly  to  the  Moscovite  — 
you  need  only  recall  the  days  of  Charles  XII  —  have 
within  the  last  few  years  developed  a  strong  martial 
feeling  against  Russian  aggression.  Both  countries 
are  intensely  patriotic  and  independent  and  would 
not  on  any  account  tolerate  incorporation.  Germany 
does  not  want  Norway  and  Sweden,  and  Scandinavia 
knows  that.  They  also  know  that  Russia,  having  a 
free  hand,  does  want  them.  Hence  they  are  looking 
towards  Germany  to  keep  a  national  independence. 
With  German  help,  Sweden  and  Norway  could  main- 
tain, transport  and  place  three-quarters  of  a  million 
of  first-class  fighting  men  in  the  field  and  that  at 
strategical  and  crucial  points  of  the  Russian  Empire. 

The  personal  domination  of  the  house  of  Hohen- 
zollern  even  outside  political  matters  is  tremendous, 
by  virtue  of  great  wealth  and  marriages, —  the  Em- 
peror's sons  having  married  the  most  wealthy 
princesses  in  Europe  —  besides  the  privately  invested 
fortunes  of  the  Emperor,  giving  him  a  tremendous  in- 
fluence in  commercial  affairs.  Wilhelm  holds  the 
thunderbolt  that  will  shake  the  world. 

THE  END 


256 


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